Suriya was born as Saravanan on 23 July 1975 in Madras (nowChennai),Tamil Nadu, to actorSivakumar and his wife Lakshmi.[13] Suriya has two younger siblings, a brotherKarthi, who is an actor and a sisterBrindha, who is a playback singer. His mother tongue isTamil.[14][15]
Prior to his career in films, Suriya worked at a garment exports factory for eight months.[19] He did not reveal himself to his boss as Sivakumar's son, but his boss ultimately learnt the truth himself.[20] He was initially offered the lead role byVasanth in his filmAasai (1995), but he rejected the offer citing a lack of interest in an acting career and the offer went toAjith Kumar.[18] He later debuted in Vasanth's 1997 filmNerrukku Ner, produced byMani Ratnam when he was 22 years of age.[21] Thestage name "Suriya" was bestowed to him by Ratnam to avoid a clash of names with established actorSaravanan. The name "Suriya" was frequently used for characters in Ratnam's films.[22]Vijay, who co-starred with him in the film, would also go on to become a leading contemporary actor in Kollywood.[23]
This was followed by a series of roles in commercially unsuccessful films in the late 1990s. In 1998, he starred in the romantic filmKaadhale Nimmadhi.[24] In July the same year, he had another releaseSandhippoma.[25] Subsequently, he acted withVijayakanth in the filmPeriyanna (1999), directed byS. A. Chandrasekhar.[26] That year, he also appeared oppositeJyothika inPoovellam Kettuppar. A critic fromThe New Indian Express noted, "The-romantic part has little novelty, but Jyothika and Surya perform with bouncy exuberance."[27] His only release in 2000 wasUyirile Kalanthathu, again opposite Jyothika.[28] Suriya confessed that he struggled due to lack of confidence, memory power, fighting or dancing skills in his early career, but it was actorRaghuvaran, one of his mentors, who advised him to create his own identity, rather than stay under his father's shadow.[29]
This series of failures was broken in 2001 when Suriya starred in two box office successes. He first starred inSiddique's comedy filmFriends, also co-starring Vijay.[30] His major break came with the action dramaNandhaa, which was directed byBala.[31] Playing the role of anex-convict who is very attached to his mother, he received theTamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance, in addition to his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[32] S. R. Ashok Kumar fromThe Hindu noted, "Suriya as the young rustic man has reached a new milestone in acting."[33] Suriya had three film releases in 2002: the romantic dramaUnnai Ninaithu oppositeLaila andSneha, the action dramaSri oppositeShrutika andGayatri Jayaraman, and the romantic dramaMounam Pesiyadhe oppositeTrisha.[34] His performance inMounam Pesiyadhe received positive response and earned him his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[35]
Experimental roles and success (2003–2007)
The year 2003 proved to be a turning point in Suriya's career when he starred inGautham Vasudev Menon'sKaakha Kaakha opposite Jyothika, a film about the life of a police officer. The film received positive reviews and Guru Subramaniam fromRediff.com stated, "Suriya as Anbu Selvan fits the role and this film is certainly a career high for him".[4] The film emerged as Suriya's first major blockbuster at the box office and earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor – Tamil Award.[36] His portrayal of a happy-go-lucky village crook with a comic touch inBala'sPithamagan, co-starringVikram, won him theFilmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor – Tamil.[37] The film was a box office success too.[38]
This success was followed by his dual roles inPerazhagan, as an aggressive boxer and a handicapped phone booth keeper.[39] The film emerged as a commercial success at the box office,[40] and won Suriya his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[41] Praising his performance, Malathi Rangarajan ofThe Hindu wrote, "At no point are you allowed to feel that it is the same actor who is playing the physically challenged Chinna and the rough, ardently-in-love Karthik — therein lies [Perazhagan's] strength".[42] In the same year, he portrayed the role of a student leader inMani Ratnam's political dramaAayutha Ezhuthu along withMadhavan andSiddarth. The film received high critical acclaim and was also commercially successful.[43]
Maayavi opposite Jyothika was his first release of 2005.[44] Suriya further consolidated his position with the psychological thriller,Ghajini directed byA. R. Murugadoss. He played the role of a businessman suffering fromanterograde amnesia oppositeAsin.Ghajini emerged as a blockbuster at the box office and was the third highest-grossing Tamil film of the year. Suriya's performance was unanimously praised, with a reviewer fromSify citing that "the film is driven by Suriya's riveting performance".[45] The film was dubbed in Telugu under the same name and was again a box office success, earning him fame inAndhra Pradesh.[46] Suriya received his fifth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film. The film established Suriya among the highest paid Tamil actors.[47] Later that year, he worked inHari's action filmAaru, which was moderately successful at the box office.[48] A reviewer cited, "Suriya keeps you riveted to the seats with another wholesome effort".[49]
In 2006, Suriya appeared in a cameo role inJune R.[50] Later that year, he starred opposite Jyothika andBhumika Chawla inN. Krishna's filmSillunu Oru Kaadhal. The film took a strong opening. It had an average response from critics,[51][52] but his performance was praised, with a reviewer citing, "Suriya pitches in with yet another fantastic performance, be it the responsible husband and father, or the cool dude at college".[53] In 2007, his only release was director Hari'sVel, where he reunited with Asin, followingGhajini.[54] The film, which featured him in dual roles, was commercially successful.[55]
Continued commercial success and stardom (2008–2013)
Gautham Vasudev Menon's dramaVaaranam Aayiram was Suriya's only release of 2008 and was his second film with Menon postKaakha Kaakha.[56] Playing dual roles for the third time in his career, Suriya appeared as father and son, with both characters demanding scenes shot throughout their lives ranging from scenes as a 16-year-old to scenes as a 65-year-old. During the production of the film, Suriya described the project as "unique" and "straight from the heart", describing the physical hardships he endured during the making.[57] He lost weight and prepared asix pack for the film through an eight-month fitness regime without steroids.[58][59] The film featured him oppositeSimran,Sameera Reddy andDivya Spandana and became commercially successful at the box office upon release. Pavithra Srinivasan labelled the film as his "magnum opus", citing that he is "perfect" and that the film for him is a "justified triumph".[60] Similarly, critics cited his performance as "outstanding" and claimed that the film "works because of his performance", whilst other reviewers claimed the film was an "out and out Suriya show".[61][62] His performance earned him his secondFilmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, aTamil Nadu State Film Award Special Prize and theVijay Award for Best Actor.[63][64][65]
In 2009, Suriya's first release wasK. V. Anand's action-thrillerAyan, where he played a smuggler oppositeTamannaah Bhatia. The film was shot extensively acrossTanzania,Namibia,Malaysia andIndia and featured acrobatic stunts by Suriya, without the use of a stunt double.[66] Upon release, it received positive reviews, with critics citing the film as a "must watch" and Suriya's performance was yet again acclaimed and he found himself nominated for leading awards and won theVijay Award for Entertainer of the Year, in addition to his seventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[67] The film's success saw him emerge as the most profitable leading actor in Tamil films, following a hattrick of large commercial hits, with film journals suggesting that his success was due to "experiments within the commercial format" and he was successful in "avoiding being typecast".Ayan was thehighest-grossing Tamil film of 2009.[68][69] His next film,K. S. Ravikumar's action entertainerAadhavan also achieved commercial success, while Suriya's depiction of a hitman was praised. A critic fromSify labelled it as an "out and out Suriya show", stating that "the film rides on the magic of the actor, and his zany shenanigans alone makes it worth a watch" and Rediff.com cited that "he sings, dances, and fights with absolute sincerity, but when he looks at you with tears in his eyes in an emotional scene tailor-made for him, the applause hits the roof", concluding that it is "completely his film".[70][71]
Suriya's first release of 2010 was his 25th film,Singam directed byHari, in which he played the role of a police officer oppositeAnushka Shetty.[72] The film received positive reviews withThe Hindu reviewer noting, "Suriya shows that be it a performance-oriented role or a formulaic concoction he can deliver", whileSify stated, "Ultimately it is Suriya who carries the film to the winning post. His passion and the way he brings an ordinary regular larger-than-life hero character alive on screen is lesson for other commercial heroes."[73][74] Indian cricketerMahendra Singh Dhoni stated that he became "a great fan of Suriya" after watchingSingam.[75] The film won Suriya his second Vijay Award for Best Entertainer, in addition to his eighth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, and subsequently went on to become the second highest-grossing film of the year.[76] Suriya expanded to Telugu and Hindi films withRam Gopal Varma's political dramaRakta Charitra.[77] The film was released in Tamil asRatha Sarithiram, which was partly dubbed and partly reshot.[78]Rajeev Masand noted, "The film belongs to Suriya, and is watchable only for the sheer presence of the Southern star, and for the intensity he brings to his part."[79] Suriya then appeared alongsideR. Madhavan andTrisha in a song inManmadhan Ambu.[80]
Following two special appearance in 2011: InK. V. Anand'sKo andBala'sAvan Ivan, Suriya featured inAR Murugadoss's science fiction action thriller7 Aum Arivu.[81] He played dual roles oppositeShruti Haasan, as a circus artist and as the Buddhist monk namedBodhidharma, who lived in the 6th century. His performance earned him his ninth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[82] The film met with mixed reviews, but was a commercial success and became his first film to gross above₹1 billion.[83][84] N. Venkateswaran noted, "If the movie deserves a look, it is only because of the ever-dependable Suriya. He is a treat to watch as Bodhidharma."[85]
His only 2012 release wasK. V. Anand-directed action thrillerMaattrraan. He played the role ofconjoined twins, Vimalan and Akhilan oppositeKajal Aggarwal. The film received mixed reviews, and ended up being an average grosser.[86] Critics however praised the film's technical aspects andVFX, in addition to Suriya's performance, which earned him his tenth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[87] Suriya himself dubbed for one of his characters in the Telugu dubbed version while his brotherKarthi dubbed for his other character.[88] J Hurtado ofTwitch Film said, "Suriya is called upon to carry the entire weight of the film on his shoulders as he is surrounded by a very one-dimensional supporting cast."[89] The film was a box office average.[90]
In January 2012, Suriya was named as the official host of the new game show to be presented onSTAR Vijay,Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi, the Tamil version ofWho Wants to Be a Millionaire?. It began airing on 27 February 2012 and ended on 12 July.[91] His next film wasSingam II opposite Anushka Shetty andHansika Motwani, a sequel to his 2010 filmSingam. The film released on 5 July 2013 to mixed reviews from critics. However, the film received a huge opening and emerged one of thehighest grossing Tamil films of all time.[92] Suriya was once again acclaimed for his portrayal of Durai Singam and his performance was hailed as "the film's backbone".[93]Singam II was a box office hit and became his second ₹1 billion grosser.[94] Suriya received his eleventh nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film. Suriya distributed the film through his production company2D Entertainment, founded in 2013. He had signed on to feature inGautham Vasudev Menon's filmDhruva Natchathiram and reportedly waited for six months to start filming. However, in October 2013, he backed out due to differences with the director and the project lagging too much.[95] In a 2013 interview with theBangalore Mirror, film producerG. Dhananjayan called Suriya as the "biggest star" in contemporary Tamil cinema and claimed it was mainly because his popularity extended to Telugu and Malayalam speaking audiences as well.[96][97]
Career struggles and sporadic success (2014–2019)
Suriya's only release in 2014 wasAnjaan oppositeSamantha Ruth Prabhu, directed byN. Lingusamy. It was released to mixed reviews, and was an average grosser at the box office.[98][99] A reviewer ofIANS wrote, "Suriya gives an earnest performance. But he's let down by a weak script, terrible performances by the rest of the cast and lengthy narrative."[100] He also co-sang "Ek Do Theen Char" withAndrea Jeremiah for the film.[101] In 2015, Suriya released36 Vayadhinile starring Jyothika, the first production from his company2D Entertainment. His next release wasVenkat Prabhu's filmMassu Engira Masilamani,[102] opposite Nayanthara andPranitha Subhash. Critics were all in praise for Suriya's performance, but the film received mixed reviews. Despite this, it emerged as a commercial success.[103] In the same year, he producedPasanga 2 (2015), directed byPandiraj.[104]
In 2016, Suriya appeared in the science-fiction action drama24 directed byVikram Kumar.[105][106] Based on the concept oftime-travel,[107] he played triple roles of a scientist, his evil brother and the scientist's watch mechanic son opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu andNithya Menen in leading roles.[108][109] Sreedhar Pillai ofFirstpost noted, "Suriya is fantastic, and does the difficult triple role of playing a scientist, lover boy and above all, the deadly villain with élan and style."[110] Malini Mannath ofThe New Indian Express stated, "Suriya plays each role with relish. Of particular mention is his essaying of Athreya the antagonist. The actor showcasing a new dimension to his performance here, yet again surprises you with his splendid take on it."[111] For his performance, Suriya won theFilmfare Critics Award for Best Actor – Tamil, in addition to his twelfth nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil. The film also grossed above ₹1 billion at the box office worldwide and was a commercial success.[112][113]
Suriya's career saw a resurgence with the biographical dramaSoorarai Pottru, based on the life ofAir Deccan founder CaptainG. R. Gopinath. It was directed bySudha Kongara, produced by Suriya's 2D Entertainment and co-produced by Guneet Monga under Sikhya Entertainment. He played Maara oppositeAparna Balamurali.[121] He sang "Maara Theme" and itsTelugu version "Maha Theme" for the film, which was released directly onAmazon Prime Video in November 2020. The film received widespread critical acclaim and won Suriya his firstNational Film Award for Best Actor, in addition to his third Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil.[8] The film became the most-watched regional language film in the history of Amazon Prime in India.[122][123][124] Writing forHindustan Times, Haricharan Pudipeddi stated, "The story of Maara is made to look even more inspiring because of Suriya, who is phenomenal and holds the show together."[125] His next work that year wasNavarasa, aNetflix anthology series produced byMani Ratnam. It was released in August 2021. He acted in the 9th episode titledGuitar Kambi Mele Nindru, directed byGautham Vasudev Menon. The artists, technicians and directors of the series contributed towards the film without remuneration, with only the costs of production being associated. The profits earned from the project were donated to the members of theFilm Employees Federation of South India (FEFSI), who were affected by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[126]
Suriya then playedJustice K. Chandru in T. J. Gnanavel's legal dramaJai Bhim. The film, which was his own production, was distributed byAmazon Prime Video in November 2021. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised the story, performances, direction and social message, and several publications listed the film as "one of the best Tamil and Indian films of 2021".[127]Saibal Chatterjee fromNDTV noted: "Suriya, stepping out manfully from his comfort zone, slips effortlessly and efficaciously into the skin - and spirit of Chandru."[128] The film was shortlisted among the 276 films eligible for nomination at the94th Academy Awards,[129] but failed to make the final list of nominations.[130]Jai Bhim also became the first Indian film to be featured on theOscars' YouTube channel.[131][124] Suriya won theFilmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil as producer of the film, and received his fourteenth nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor – Tamil for his performance in the film, but lost the award to his performance inSoorarai Pottru. The same year, he produced two films,Raame Aandalum Raavane Aandalum andUdanpirappe.[132][133]
In 2022, Suriya's first film wasEtharkkum Thunindhavan, also known under the initialismET. The film, which was directed byPandiraj and produced byKalanithi Maran underSun Pictures, featured him oppositePriyanka Mohan. It released to mixed reviews. He also dubbed for himself in Telugu.[134] The film was a moderate box office success.[135] Following this, he appeared in a cameo as Rolex, a drug lord inLokesh Kanagaraj'sVikram.[136] Haricharan Pudipeddi stated: "Suriya's brief but powerful cameo is just the high one needs as you step out ofVikram".[137] The film became one of the highest grossing Tamil films of all time.[138] He also had a cameo appearance inR. Madhavan'sRocketry: The Nambi Effect.[139] After the release ofEtharkkum Thunindhavan, Suriya started work onBala'sVanangaan.[140][141] However, in December 2022, it was confirmed that he left the project due to differences with the director. Suriya's other productions in 2022 wereOh My Dog andViruman.[142]
With no film release in 2023, Suriya's first appearance in 2024 was a cameo in the Hindi remake ofSoorarai Pottru titledSarfira, an own production withAkshay Kumar in the lead.[143] He then appeared inSiva's big budget filmKanguva (2024). The film was produced jointly byStudio Green and UV Creations, and was released to negative reviews.[144] He played dual roles of a bounty hunter and a tribal chieftain oppositeDisha Patani.[145] The film was a box office failure.[146] Latha Srinivasan stated, "Suriya is the heart and soul ofKanguva, but the film just doesn't do justice to his performance and commitment."[147]
In 2025, Suriya played an orphan raised by a gangster oppositePooja Hegde inKarthik Subbaraj'sRetro. The film was co-produced by Suriya andStone Bench Films,[148] and opened to positive reviews from critics.[citation needed] Avinash Ramachandran noted, "Suriya’s brilliant turn as Paari anchors the film. The director's vision allows him to deliver a performance that hasn’t come to the fore in a while."[149] The film had the best opening of his career and went on to become a commercial success.[150] Suriya will next appear inRJ Balaji'sKaruppu produced byDream Warrior Pictures,[151] and inVenky Atluri'sSuriya 46.[152]
Suriya has been a patron of Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation since 2007.[153][154] In the same year, he also acted in a short film onAIDS awareness.[153] He has also lent his voice to other causes such as the "Save The Tigers" campaign, which aids in the protection and preservation of tigers in India, and "REACH", a non-profit that treatstuberculosis patients for free using supervised medication programs.[155][156] In 2019, Suriya criticised the union government's DraftNational Education Policy (NEP), claiming that several of its features would affect students from rural areas. He said the policy sought to impose entrance and qualifying examination on students and thethree language formula in Tamil Nadu. His statements were criticized by BJP and AIADMK leaders.[157][158]
Suriya issued a statement onNational Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) in September 2020 after three students committed suicide. He criticized the government for enacting laws that created inequalities and criticized the judiciary saying that "while the court is run through video conferencing, they have ordered students to take the exams in person during COVID-19". He compared NEET to "manuneethi" and a tale in theMahabharata in whichDrona demandedEkalavya's thumb as payment for training, going on to suggest that "the skills and abilities of our children should not be determined by one test".[159] He asked people to raise their voice against the NEET which "prevents medical courses to students from normal families".[160] WhileMadras High Court judge S.M. Balasubramaniam urged the chief justice to take contempt action against Suriya, this was opposed by six retired judges.[161] Suriya's wife Jyothika had on a separate occasion requested to contribute to schools and hospitals the same as temples. Although theBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other right-wing organisations condemned them, they garnered widespread support from people advocating equality in access to healthcare and education.[162]
In 2006, Suriya beganAgaram Foundation, working to help children who drop out of school early inTamil Nadu. Suriya revealed that he was inspired to begin the movement as a result of his father's own organisation, Sivakumar Educational Trust, which had been operating similar benefits on a smaller scale since the 1980s.[163] With theMinistry of Education in Tamil Nadu, the foundation created a short commercial video outlining child poverty, labour and lack of education, titledHerova? Zerova?.[164][165]
The film was written and produced by Sivakumar and also starredVijay,Madhavan andJyothika. Agaram sponsored 159 underprivileged students in 2010 for their higher education in various disciplines, and has continued to provide free seats and accommodation for pupils. Agaram Foundation works towards providing appropriate learning opportunities to the rural populace who do not otherwise have access to quality education. Through the foundation, Suriya has also managed to set up a platform for students to participate in workshops and improve communication skills, teamwork, goal setting and leadership.[166] In 2025, Suriya donated₹10 crore from his filmRetro's profits to his educational NGO.[167]
Personal life
Jyothika and Suriya at the launch of the former's filmKaatrin Mozhi (2018)
Suriya married actressJyothika on 11 September 2006 inChennai.[168][169] The couple met on the sets of their first film togetherPoovellam Kettuppar (1999), and eventually began dating.[170][171] They have two children: a daughter (Diya; born 2007) and a son (Dev; born 2010).[172][173]
In the media
Suriya in 2011
Suriya is among the highest paid actors in Tamil cinema.[174][175] For 2012,[176] 2013,[176][177] 2015,[178] 2016,[178] 2017[179] and 2018,[180] Suriya was included in theForbes India Celebrity 100 list which is based on the earnings of Indian celebrities. His peak ranking on the list was at the 25th place, in the year 2017.[179] Suriya stood at the 9th place in its list of the most influential stars on Instagram in South cinema for the year 2021.[181] In 2022, Suriya became the firstSouth Indian actor to be invited to join theAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He was among 397 eminent film personalities invited to join the Academy for the95th Academy Awards.[182][183]
A research study conducted in 2023 by Indian Institute of Human Brands (IIHB) stated that Suriya was the highest-ranked celebrity in South India. The study was based on several attributes covering image, personality and other human factors.[184] Suriya is also known for his versatility, often considered as a successor to actorKamal Hassan.[6][7] InRediff.com's "Top Tamil Actors" list, Suriya was placed 3rd in 2005, 1st in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and 5th in 2012.[185][186][187][188][189] Suriya became the 5th and 4th most tweeted about South Indian actor in 2020 and 2021, respectively, following his performances inSoorarai Pottru andJai Bhim.[190][191] His performance in24 is regarded as one of the "100 Greatest Performances of the Decade" byFilm Companion.[192]
Suriya has been a celebrity endorser for several brands and products. In 2004, he wasPepsi's brand ambassador inTamil Nadu along withR. Madhavan. He was chosen to representTVS Motors,Sunfeast Biscuits andAircel in 2006. He had endorsedSaravana Stores,[193] Bharathi Cements andEmami Navaratna products in 2010.[194] In 2011, he had signed new deals withNescafe,Close-Up and Zandu Balm, for the latter of which he appeared with actressMalaika Arora. In 2012, Suriya endorsedMalabar Gold and Diamonds. The commercials for Aircel and Nescafe featured Suriya and his wifeJyothika together.[195] In 2013, he was honored at theEdison Awards as the Best Male Endorser in South India.[196] In 2014, he promotedComplan energy drinks.[197] In 2015, Suriya was named as the brand ambassador forQuikr andIntex Moblies.[198] In 2024, Suriya was placed 62nd onIMDb's List of 100 Most Viewed Indian Stars.[199]
^Pillai, Sreedhar (4 May 2008)."Power packed".The Times of India.Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved7 January 2011.
^Srinivasan, Pavithra (14 November 2008)."It's Surya all the way".Rediff.Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved7 January 2011.It might be just a feather in Gautam's hat. As for Surya, it's an ostrich plume, a justified triumph.
^Ramanujam, Srinivasan (2 August 2009)."The glowing filmfare night!".The Times of India.Archived from the original on 6 August 2009. Retrieved7 January 2011.
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