"Prestige" Padmanabhan Iyer, the manager of a reputed company, lives with his wife Savithri, sons Sridhar and Murali, and a daughter. He is famous for living with prestige and is a keen observer of status in all matters. Sridhar is married while Murali is looking for a job. With his hard earned money, Padmanabhan buys his ancestral house, sold earlier due to poverty and names it "Vietnam Veedu" (Vietnam House) because of the constant tiffs among the family members, similar to the Vietnam War. His major problem is that he is unable to come to terms with his children's behaviour. He retires from his job, is unable to accept the situation, and gets worried about how his sons will manage the family. Added to this, they spoil his "Prestige" image.
Sridhar, who accepts bribes at his work place, is arrested by the police after a search of their home and subsequently loses his job. Murali takes a loan from a moneylender and does not repay it. Hence, the moneylender lands up at Vietnam Veedu and demands repayment from Padmanabhan. The neighbours come to know of these happenings and mock him for living with false prestige. Padmanabha feels dejected; only Savithri empathises with him. He fears that after his death, his children will not take good care of their mother.
Padmanabhan's constant worry leads to a serious medical problem; his family doctor advises him not to get overexcited. Padmanabhan undergoes a surgery after which the doctor says that though he is fine now, he may not be able to take any exciting news, as his heart is weak. Now all the family members are reconciled with each other and take good care of him. Padmanabhan soon receives a letter from his previous employer offering him the post of director, for which he would be required to go abroad for training. Reading this, he is overjoyed that he is still revered by many for his ethics and honesty, but due to the resultant excitement he dies.
Vietnam Veedu was the first full-length play written by Sundaram, and intended for the United Amateur Artistes (UAA) troupe, co-founded by his mentor Y. G. Parthasarathy. After writing the script, he approached Parthasarathy, who was uninterested in the play being staged. It later caught the attention of Sivaji Ganesan who, impressed with the script, decided to stage it through his Sivaji Nataka Manram troupe.[5] The play was inaugurated in 1965, and became a resounding success; Sundaram earned the title of the play as the prefix to his name. Ganesan later bought the rights to adapt the play for the screen.[6][7] According to Venkatesh Chakravarthy, Regional Director and HOD-Direction at the LV Prasad Film & TV Academy, Chennai, the plot is based on Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman.[8] The closing text added to the screen was, "Idhu padam alla, paadam" (This is not a film, this is a lesson) rather than the usual "Vanakkam" (Welcome).[9]
Vietnam Veedu is included with other Ganesan films in Yettavathu Ulaga Athisayam Sivaji (Sivaji, the Eighth Wonder of the World), a compilation DVD featuring Ganesan's "iconic performances in the form of scenes, songs and stunts" which was released in May 2012.[18][19]
