Actor-producer Suriya Sivakumar celebrates his birthday today.
Right from his debut Nerrukku Ner to his upcoming Soorarai Pottru and Aruvaa, the actor has seen it all, highs, lows, blockbusters, washouts, appreciation, and criticism. Nevertheless, the actor has tided over it all emerging as one of the most bankable stars in the industry with a profitable market in other industries and overseas as well.
Join Silverscreen India on the actor’s his 45th birthday, as we trace his outstanding journey, taking a small trip down the memory lane.
Saravanan Sivakumar known by his bestowed name Suriya Sivakumar to his ‘Anbaana fans’, film fraternity, and the outside world, was not intentionally cut out for the film industry. The actor, born to actor Sivakumar and Lakshmi did not actually want to step into the film industry until he was made to, at the age of 22 with director Vasanth’s 1997 film Nerrukku Ner alongside Vijay, Simran, and Kausalya. There’s been no looking back for the star.
He went to Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan School and St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai and graduated from Loyola College, Chennai with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. The elder brother to two, Karthi Sivakumar and Brindha Sivakumar, he has always been public about his support for their endeavours.
After a string of not so big films, Suriya’s major breakthrough came with director Bala’s Nandha where he played a Borstal-return juggling between life and love which earned him a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actor. He went on to sign films like Vikraman’s Unnai Ninaithu and Ameer Sultan’s Mounam Pesiyadhe which showcased the boy-next-door in him.
His career witnessed a complete takeoff with Gautham Menon’s Kaakha Kaakha where he played a cop, Anbu Selvan, a name that is etched in audiences’ minds to date. It also went on to become the first blockbuster of his career. Subsequently, Bala’s Pithamagan, Sasi Shanker’s Perazhagan (his first dual-role), Mani Ratnam’s Aaytha Ezhuthu, and AR Murugadoss’ Ghajini garnered him a huge fan base and immense appreciation for his choice of characters and portrayal of the same given the fact that the films were four totally different picks.
His association with director Hari then began in 2005, when he agreed to work on Aaru followed by Vel and the popular three-part Singam franchise that is evergreen fodder for commercial audiences. Up next, he’s associating with the director for the sixth time for Aruvaa.
Once again, Vaaranam Aayiram with Gautham Menon called for him to lose an alarming amount of weight for a dual role, for the third time, to don the popular six-pack. He earned several awards with the film bagging the prestigious National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil for 2008.
KV Anand’s Ayan and AR Murugadoss’ 7aum Arivu also turned out to be commercial successes, with Ayan receiving good reception from critics and audiences alike and 7aum Arivu garnering mixed feedback.
Following this, Suriya struck a balance between content-oriented scripts and commercial scripts resulting in a waver-y career graph. He associated with a female director in a first by signing Sudha Kongara Prasad’s Soorarai Pottru that will hit screens post the coronavirus-imposed lockdown.
His wife, an actor and huge star in her own right, Jyotika whom he first met on the sets of Poovellam Kettuppar in 1999 has been a constant source of support for the star and vice versa. The charming duo’s love for each other, every time they come together on a stage or on screen is the stuff of legends. It was during his career-best Kaakha Kaakha that the two were engaged and they eventually entered wedlock in September 2006.
They have stood by each other for every film’s release including Jyotika’s latest Ponmagal Vandhal which was mired in controversy for several reasons.
Suriya has worked with some of the biggest actresses of the industry including Nayanthara, Trisha, Tamannaah, Samantha, Simran, Rakul Preet Singh, Kajal Aggarwal, Keerthy Suresh, Nithya Menen, Shruti Haasan, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan and several others.
Suriya has also always voiced out his opinions against social issues and helped in the education of children in remote regions. And his 2006-founded Agaram Foundation stands testimony to this. His fan clubs engage in food distribution, blood donation camps, and various other social welfare activities on a regular basis.
He also had a brief television stint with Vijay TV’s Neengalum Vellalam Oru Kodi and has been the brand ambassador of several ads including Sunfeast Biscuits, Saravana Stores, and Nescafe along with Jyotika.
We wish the star a very happy birthday!
With inputs from Aparajitha Balu
