Suresh Gopi | |
|---|---|
 Suresh Gopi | |
| Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 June 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Minister | Hardeep Singh Puri |
| Preceded by | Rameswar Teli |
| Minister of State for Tourism | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 11 June 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Narendra Modi |
| Minister | Gajendra Singh Shekhawat |
| Preceded by | Shripad Naik,Ajay Bhatt |
| Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha | |
Incumbent | |
| Assumed office 4 June 2024 | |
| Preceded by | T. N. Prathapan |
| Constituency | Thrissur |
| Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Nominated) | |
| In office 29 April 2016 – 24 April 2022 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1958-06-26)26 June 1958 (age 66) Kollam,Kerala[1] |
| Political party | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5, includingGokul Suresh[note 1] |
| Parent(s) | K. Gopinathan Pillai (father) V. Gnanalekshmi Amma (mother)[2] |
| Relatives | Aranmula Ponnamma (grandmother-in-law) |
| Education | Fatima Mata National College (BSc,MA) |
| Occupation | |
| Awards | National Film Awards Kerala State Film Awards |
| Years active | 1965, 1986–present |
Suresh Gopi (born 26 June 1958) is an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter and politician who is currently serving as theMinister of State forPetroleum and Natural Gas and theMinister of Tourism since June 2024. He was elected as aMember of Parliament, Lok Sabha in the2024 general election fromThrissur Lok Sabha constituency, becoming the first BJP MP from Kerala, marking the party’s first-ever victory in a Lok Sabha election in the state.[3] He is also serving as thePresident of theSatyajit Ray Film and Television Institute from September 2023.[4][5]
He works predominantly inMalayalam cinema and has also appeared in someTamil,Telugu,Kannada, andBollywood films.[6][7][8] Suresh made his acting debut as a child in the 1965 filmOdayil Ninnu and as an adult in 1986 and has since acted inmore than 250 films. In 1998, he won theNational Film Award for Best Actor andKerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance inKaliyattam.[7]
He served as anominated member of theRajya Sabha, the upper house of theParliament of India from 2016 to 2022.[9] Additionally, he is also a philanthropist, social worker, and advocates for environmental protection.[10]
Suresh Gopi was born on 26 June 1958 atAlappuzha,Kerala to K. Gopinathan Pillai, afilm distributor, and V. Gnanalekshmi Amma, as their eldest son.[11][12] His parents hail fromKollam.[13][14]
After his birth, Gopi's family moved to his father's house inKollam where he was raised.[14] He has three younger brothers: Subhash Gopi and twins Sunil Gopi and Sanil Gopi.[7] His ancestral home (tharavad) is in Kollam city near Madannada,[15] and the Kollam Bharanikavu Devi Temple near Madannada, Pallimukku, is his ancestral family temple.[16]
Gopi attended Infant Jesus Anglo-Indian School in Kollam.[17] He then completed the bachelor's degree in Zoology, and a master's degree in English Literature fromFatima Mata National College in Kollam.[18][11][12]
Gopi made his debut as a child artist in 1965 by playing a brief role inOdayil Ninnu. Later, he made his debut as an adult in 1986 with an uncredited role inNiramulla Raavukal.[19][20] He gained attention through the minor role of a prospective groom inT. P. Balagopalan M. A. (1986). Gopi went on to play few antagonistic and numerous supporting roles throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was noted for his villain role inIrupatham Noottandu (1987). It was the highest grossing Malayalam movie of that time. He had a major supporting role as Harry inOru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988). Gopi's comic role assub-inspector Minnal Prathapan inManu Uncle (1988) has over the years attained a cult status.[21][22] His portrayal of Dr. Narendran inPadmarajan's 1990 filmInnale (1990) was critically acclaimed and is considered by fans and critics to be one of the best performances of his career.[23] He also gained appraisal for his portrayal ofAromal Chekavar in the 1989 dramaOru Vadakkan Veeragatha. He played another cameo comic role as Christopher Luke, a professional killer inNagarangalil Chennu Raparkam (1989). His other notable films during the late 1980s includeBhoomiyile Rajakkanmar,New Delhi (1987),Moonnam Mura,1921 (1988),Varnam,Douthyam,Nair Saab (1989). His notable films during the early 1990s includesIn Harihar Nagar andThoovalsparsham both released in 1990.[24][25]
After acting in more than 80 movies, Gopi finally got a breakthrough by playing the lead role inShaji Kailas'sThalastaanam (1992), which was written byRenji Panicker.[8][17] Suresh established himself as a bankable star in Malayalam cinema throughEkalavyan (1993). This crime thriller was also written by Renji Panicker and directed by Shaji Kailas. The film was a major box office success and completed 150 days in theaters.[26] Shaji-Renji combination films turned Gopi into an overnight star in 1990s especially through police and army roles. In 1993 itself, he played the lead role inMafia, another Shaji-Renji crime thriller which was very successful at box office. The same year, he played the role of Nakulan alongsideMohanlal andShobhana inFazil's psychological thrillerManichitrathazhu, which is considered one of the best Malayalam movies ever made.[27] He played the role of aNSG commando inKashmeeram (1994), which was a commercial success. His 1994 filmCommissioner, where he played the role of Bharath Chandran I.P.S, was a major commercial success in Kerala and pushed his superstardom to neighboring Telugu-speaking state where it was a box office success.[6]Commissioner is also treated as acult classic film.[28] He played the role of a RAW officer inHighway (1995) which ran for more than 100 days in theatres.[29]
Gopi's high budget filmYuvathurki (1996) failed to create expected results at box office. The same year, he appeared in a different avatar by playing the role of a wildlife photographer inRajaputran. It became one of the highest grossing Malayalam movies in 1996.[30]
One of his popular and career best character Anakkattil Chackochi came out throughLelam in 1997. Scripted by Renji panicker and directed byJoshiy, it was one of the highest-grossing movies of the year.[31] The role of Kannan Perumalayan inJayaraj'sKaliyattam (1997) won him theNational Film Award for Best Actor and theKerala State Film Award for Best Actor.[32][17][33] His other notable movies in 1997 wereJanathipathyam andGuru. In Guru, he played a supporting role. Suresh Gopi's played a lead role alongsideJayaram in thecomedy dramaSummer in Bethlehem (1998). He played the character Dennis and received wide appreciation from the critics. It was also the third highest-grossing movie in 1998.[34] His other notable movies in 1998 wereThalolam andPranayavarnangal.
Gopi'saction thriller filmPathram (1999) directed by Joshiy was the highest grossing Malayalam movie in 1999.[35] The film, which ran over 275 days in theatres is also considered by many fans to be one of the best in his career. The same year he starred in another Joshiy action thrillerVazhunnor which was also a commercial hit. In 1999, two of his popular crime investigation thrillersCrime File andF. I. R came out. Both films were commercially successful.[36]
In 2000, Gopi starred inMark Antony andCover Story, an action film and a crime thriller. He played a lead role, with comic elements, in the comedy dramaThenkasipattanam (2000) alongsideLal. The film was one of the highest grossers at the box office and ran for more than 275 days in theatres.[37] Suresh Gopi played the lead role inRajasenan's horror filmMegasandesam (2001). His other notable movies in 2001 are the comedy dramaSundara Purushan and an investigation thrillerNariman. In 2003, he appeared in a lead role alongsideKunchacko Boban in Rajasenan's family dramaSwapnam Kondu Thulabharam. In 2005, he did the lead role in Renji Panicker'sBharathchandran I.P.S., a sequel to the 1994 film Commissioner. The film was a major hit at the box office.[38] His performance isMakalkku (2005) was critically acclaimed.
Gopi's fanbase slowly started to diminish during the mid-2000s with many of his movies released in 2006 becoming a failure at the box office.[39] This includes films such asLanka,Rashtram,Pathaaka,Ashwaroodan,Bada Dosth andSmart City.[40] However, his legal thrillerChinthamani Kolacase directed by Shaji Kailas was a blockbuster at the box office in 2006.[41] Suresh Gopi played the lead role of a psychotic lawyer, who enforces the law in his style.[42]
Most of his movies released afterChinthamani Kolacase were failures at the box office. It includes movies such asDetective,Paranju Theeratha Visheshangal,Black Cat,Kichamani MBA andTime all of which released in 2007. The same year he had a special appearance in the science fiction filmBharathan Effect. His only commercially successful film in 2007 was the crime investigation thrillerNadiya Kollappetta Rathri. In 2008, Suresh Gopi did a lead role in the multi-starrer blockbusterTwenty:20. In 2009, he was praised for his role as Ramesh Menon in theanthology filmKerala Cafe in the segmentLalitham Hiranmayam.
In 2010, he played the role of a father seeking revenge upon those who raped his daughter inJanakan which earned him appreciation.[43] In 2011, he appeared in the multi-starrer filmChristian Brothers. The same year, Gopi acted in the filmMelvilasom which received wide critical acclaim upon its release.[44] Gopi reunited with Shaji Kailas and Renji Panicker in 2012 throughThe King & the Commissioner. In the film, which is a crossover ofCommissioner (1994) andThe King (1995), Suresh Gopi reprised his role as Bharathchandran I.P.S along withMammootty reprising his role as Joseph Alex fromThe King.[45] He was praised for his role as Dr. Vijay Nambiar inApothecary (2014). He was nominated for the Best Actor award at theFilmfare Awards South for his performance in the movie.[46] Gopi played the villain role in theTamil film action thriller filmI (2015).[47]My God (2015) was his last film before going to a 4-year hiatus from acting.
In March 2019, he made a comeback announcement in acting by joiningVijay Antony starrer Tamil filmTamilarasan. The film was released in 2023 after getting delayed due toCOVID-19 pandemic in India.[48] Gopi made his comeback in Malayalam cinema by playing a pivotal role inVarane Avashyamund in 2020, after a five year long hiatus. The movie also saw the reunion of Suresh Gopi andShobana after a span of 15 years.[49] The movie was a major success at box office and was critically acclaimed. In June 2020,Tomichan Mulakuppadam announced to produce Suresh Gopi's 250th movie. The film titled asOttakkomban would see Gopi playing the role of Kuruvachan.[50] On 14 February 2021, Gopi announced that he will be reuniting with director Joshiy for the film titledPaappan.[51] The film was a commercial success at the box office.[52] His other upcoming movie isKaaval, an action thriller directed by Nithin Renji Panicker which would also feature Renji Panicker playing a pivotal role.[53] His 2023 crime thriller filmGarudan was also a commercial success at the box office.[54]
In 2012, he hosted the game showNingalkkum Aakaam Kodeeshwaran onAsianet, which was the Malayalam version ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?. He continued to host it five more seasons.[55][56] He has also hostedAnchinodu Inchodinchu onSurya TV.[57]
During his college days, Gopi was an active member of theStudents' Federation of India (SFI), thestudent wing of theCommunist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM). Later in his life, he developed an admiration for stateswomanIndira Gandhi and theIndian National Congress (INC).[58] In the2006 Kerala Legislative Assembly election, he campaigned for bothLeft Democratic Front (LDF) andUnited Democratic Front candidates. He campaigned for LDF candidateV. S. Achuthanandan inMalampuzha constituency and UDF candidate M. P. Gangadharan inPonnani constituency.[59]
On 29 April 2016, Gopi was sworn in as aMember of Parliament (MP) in theRajya Sabha,nominated by thePresident of India in the category of eminent citizens as per the provisions of Article 80 of theConstitution of India.[60][61] He optedThiruvananthapuram district as the nodal district of operation under theMembers of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme.[62] In May 2016, he was enlisted as a member in thestanding committee of theMinistry of Communication and Information Technology and in the Consultative Committee for theMinistry of Civil Aviation.[11][63] From 2019 to 2022, he was also a member of the Consultative Committee for theMinistry of Tribal Affairs and theCoconut Development Board.[64]
In October 2016, Gopi officially joined theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP).[65] In 2019, he contested in the2019 Indian general election in Kerala as a candidate of the BJP fromThrissur constituency.[66] He lost in the election to theIndian National Congress (INC) candidateT.N. Prathapan and secured third position behind theCommunist Party of India (CPI) candidateRajaji Mathew Thomas (who came second). He managed to receive 293,822 votes, which was more than double the votes received by the candidate of BJP in the previous election.[67]
In 2021, he filed nomination to contest in the2021 Kerala Legislative Assembly election to be a member of theKerala Legislative Assembly. He said that he was asked by thePrime Minister of India,Narendra Modi, to contest in the legislative assembly election.[68] He contested from theThrissur Assembly constituency as a candidate of BJP. However, he lost toP. Balachandran of CPI, coming third after INC candidate Padmaja Venugopal, securing a total of 40,457 votes.[69]
In March 2024, he was announced as the BJP candidate from the Thrissur constituency for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. He won the seat with a majority of over 74,000 votes, becoming the first BJPLok Sabha MP from Kerala.[70][71][72][73] Of the seven assembly constituencies that make up the Thrissur Lok Sabha segment, Gopi was ahead in six, exceptGuruvayoor: Manalur by 8,013 votes, Ollur by 10,363 votes, Thrissur by 14,117 votes, Nattika by 13,945 votes, Irinjalakuda by 13,016 votes and Puthukad by 12,692 votes.[74] He was appointed as the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, as well as the Minister of State for Tourism, in thethird Modi ministry in June 2024.[75][76]
| Election | Year | Party | Constituency | Result | Margin | Vote Share(%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lok Sabha | 2019 | BJP | Thrissur | Lost | 1,21,267 | 28.19 | |
| Kerala Legislative Assembly | 2021 | BJP | Thrissur | Lost | 3,806 | 31.30 | |
| Lok Sabha | 2024 | BJP | Thrissur | Won | 74,686 | 37.80 | |
On 8 February 1990,[11] Gopi married Radhika Nair, the granddaughter of actressAranmula Ponnamma. They have five children—Lakshmi Suresh,Gokul Suresh, Bhagya Suresh, Bhavni Suresh, and Madhav Suresh. Lakshmi died in a car accident while she was one-and-a-half years old.[77]Gokul Suresh is an actor in Malayalam cinema.[78][79] Gopi resides with family inSasthamangalam,Thiruvananthapuram.[12][80]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)The 1995 release 'Highway' helmed by Jayaraj, featured Suresh Gopi as Sreedhar Prasad aka Mahesh Aravind, who is a RAW Officer. 'Highway' turned out to be a blockbuster, setting records at the box office.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)