25 years of Suriya: Did you know the actor's first salary was only Rs 736?

With nearly 50 films in his kitty, over the past 25 years, Suriya persisted and continued to work on his craft, ever since he made his debut with Nerukku Ner (1997), a Mani Ratnam production. He entered Tamil cinema with a lot of baggage, the expectation of filling his father Sivakumar's shoes. Suriya had admitted that he struggled with confidence issues and found it hard to be on set, initially, as he had no training in acting, dancing, or action. The actor's breakthrough performance as an ex-convict in filmmaker Bala's Nandha in 2011 evidenced that he was a powerhouse performer.

Suriya, like Kamal Haasan, began to look out for interesting roles, refused to be labelled, and dabbled with as many different genres and characters as he could. On the one hand, he did commercial action films, Ghajini and the Singam franchise, and on the other, he did romantic dramas, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal and Vaaranam Aayiram. He also did experimental ones that satisfied his 'actor' side, such as Pithamagan, Perazhagan, Maayavi, and 7aum Arivu.

In the recent past—thanks to Kamal Haasan's Vikram, Soorarai Pottru and Jai Bhim—his career has taken a significant leap! Unlike most performers, who refuse to discuss their failures, Suriya admits to having many ups and downs in his professional life. He credits his devoted fanbase for their unwavering support and has stated that it is their faith that motivates him to make good films in return for their love.

Suriya's first job was with a garment exports factory, and did you know he turned down a role offered to him by director Vasanth in 1995? Only after Mani Ratnam's push, did the actor, who was 22 at the time, agree to Nerukku Ner. Instead of his original name Saravanan, the filmmaker suggested that he go with 'Suriya'. The rest, as they say, is history.

In an interview with The Hindu, the actor stated that he does not want to follow in his father's footsteps in the movie business. "My first month's salary was Rs 736, which I received after working 18 hours every day," he added.

Suriya, in addition to acting, produces and presents films, giving opportunities to writers and directors with unusual scripts and ideas. The pandemic paved the way for OTT content, and the actor took advantage of the opportunity, releasing some of his projects directly on Amazon Prime Video.

In an interview with Film Companion, Suriya said he believes that OTT is a fantastic avenue through which we can connect to 200+ countries, a loyal audience, and without sacrificing anything. "We can simply focus on the most powerful emotion and tell only that story. It's beautiful to make films that are close to our hearts, and it would not have happened if OTT platforms were not available to everyone."

Suriya is, undoubtedly, where he is today because he pushed himself and worked hard to earn the respect and love of his fans.

Here's to another eventful 25! Cheers.