By Entertainment Desk | July 23, 2025
In order to avoid being confused with another actor named Saravanan, director Mani Ratnam suggested that he change his name from Saravanan to Suriya.
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Suriya worked at a clothing export factory in Tiruppur after receiving his B.Com degree. He bought his mother a saree with his first paycheck of Rs 1,000.
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Suriya had no interest in acting at first, and he even declined an early offer after tenth grade because he was self-conscious about his appearance and height, despite his family’s history in the film industry.
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Under his mentor Raghuvaran’s guidance enabled him to establish his own identity independently of his father’s reputation.
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He received praise from critics and the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of a reformed ex-convict in Bala’s 2001 film Nandha.
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Suriya has experimented with playback singing and film production in addition to acting. Named after his kids, Diya and Dev, he established 2D Entertainment.
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He previously hosted the Tamil game show and even dubbed for Abhishek Bachchan in the Hindi movie Guru.
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In order to aid in the education of Tamil Nadu’s impoverished children, Suriya and his wife Jyothika co-founded the Agaram Foundation in 2006. Since then, the nonprofit has grown to include scholarships and school renovations.
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Suriya demonstrated his commitment to fitness and his craft by getting six-pack abs in just 100 days—without the use of steroids—for his part in the pan-Indian movie Kanguva at the age of 49.
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