It is one of those awards that everyone hopes to win but very few do. And now Tamil actor Suriya Sivakumar has won the coveted National Award for Best Actor for Soorarai Pottru at the 68th National Film Awards.
This would definitely be one of the most important moments in actor Suriya’s life, given how hard he has worked since his film debut in Tamil cinema in 1997 at the age of 22 in Nerrukku Ner, a Mani Ratnam production. With 49 films under his belt over the last 25 years and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, Suriya has persevered and worked on his craft ever since he set foot on to the film sets in 1996.
The Singam star’s journey to stardom has been an interesting one, as he has never used his famous father’s name to get a film - even in the early years of his career.
While entering the industry with a Mani Ratnam film was a great spring board, subsequent failures over the next four years taught him that being a star son did not automatically translate into success.
The actor has admitted that he struggled with low confidence, and not having trained in acting, dancing or action, found it quite tough when he went on set. But those who worked with him, like director Bala, instilled in him the confidence and taught him the nuances of performing in front of the camera and he soared.
With his breakthrough performance as an ex-convict in director Bala’s Nandha in 2011, the audience realised that Suriya was indeed a complete actor. This was a turning point in his career, when he went to win his first Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor.
The Kaakha Kaakha star no longer wanted to work in run-of-the-mill films but wanted scripts where he could showcase his acting skills. So, he started to seek out different scripts with good directors like Gautham Vasudev Menon, A.R. Murugadoss, Mani Ratnam, Hari and, of course, Bala. Perhaps, he subconsciously based his career choices similar on those of an actor whom he finds inspiring - Kamal Haasan.
Like Kamal, Suriya started to look for challenging roles, refused to get stereotyped and tried as many diverse genres and characters as possible. While on the one hand, Suriya did commercial action-packed films like Ghajini and Singam, on the other, he signed on romantic dramas like Sillunu Oru Kadhal and Vaaranam Aayiram.
It's in the last few years that Suriya’s career has taken a significant leap, with the kind of scripts he chose like Soorarai Pottru and Jai Bhim. Both these films made India take notice of the Tamil star who wanted his work to speak for him.
Suriya also started to actively produce and present films, giving opportunities to writers and directors who had novel scripts and ideas. The pandemic opened the OTT floodgates and Suriya seized the opportunity, releasing Soorarai Pottru and Jai Bhim directly on Amazon Prime Video.
For someone who ventured into the world of films with his baggage of insecurities and reservations, today Suriya has become a star and one of the finest actors in Tamil cinema and also one of the best human beings in the film business. His father Sivakumar was one of the most popular Tamil actors from the 1960s to the 1990s, appearing in more than 190 movies, and the values he has instilled in him are evident in the way Suriya conducts his professional and personal life. His father has always kept him grounded. The result: Suriya entered the film business knowing that every Friday release brings with it either success or failure, and whatever the outcome, life and hard work must go on.
Like his father Sivakumar, Suriya is a philanthropist. He has donated large sums of money to various causes periodically. His father ran an educational trust for 35 years, and to broaden the scope, Suriya started the Agaram Foundation to fund deserving students who don’t have the means to get an education and be successful in life. He believes that one needs to give back to society and this runs deep within their family.
Like his father, Suriya is also a family man and this is one of the key aspects that the Tamil audience loves about him. Married to popular actress Jyotika, he keeps his private life private and enjoys time with his wife and kids away from the glare of the camera. He is convinced his films and performances should do the talking rather than his personal life. And that's how he has always preferred it, shying away from the media.
Unlike many actors who refuse to talk about their failures, Suriya acknowledges that he has seen a lot of ups and downs in his career. He credits his strong fanbase and the audience for supporting him throughout his career and has stated that it’s their trust and belief in him that makes him want to do good films as a repayment of their love.
And love him they do; every film release sees tremendous support and outpouring of love on social media. Many of his fans have wondered if he'll ever enter politics - like other Tamil actors - thanks to the stands he takes on pertinent issues like NEET, but he has always said that wasn't an option he was considering. For now, he is happy to be an upright citizen who'll stand up for the rights of the people and give a voice to those who can't speak up.
2022 has truly been Suriya’s year, with his stellar cameo appearance in Kamal Haasan’s Vikram as Rolex and him becoming the first Tamil actor to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The cherry on the cake now is the coveted National Award for Best Actor. Some may say with this, Suriya has achieved a lot in his career but to those who know him, this is just the beginning.
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