There’s one such 49-year-old actor from the Tamil film industry who worked as a daily wage labourer, grinded for decades as a supporting actor, and finally got his break as a lead actor. Today, he has ₹ 50 crore hits to his name. The film industry is in the business of selling dreams in more ways than one. If the audience throngs to the theatres every Friday for escapism, numerous head to the industry with stars in their eyes and the hope of making it big. He has acted with some of the biggest names from the industry, including Vijay, Rajinikanth, and Sivakarthikeyan.
The film that changed his life
In 1993, this actor was working odd jobs with his friends in Tiruppur. He made ₹ 20 per day and at the end of the week, made ₹ 140. ₹ 70, of which he had to send home. He couldn’t even afford a coconut bun , which cost ₹ 1.25, so he often settled for just tea. A self-declared ‘crazy fan’ of Rajinikanth who changed his name to Surya, inspired by the star’s character in the 1991 Mani Ratnam movie Thalapathi. Soori gained recognition only in 2009, when his character in Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu earned him the moniker ‘parotta’ Soori. He had been working in the industry since at least 1998. In 2023, Vetrimaaran banked on Soori to carry the heartwrenching story of Viduthalai: Part 1 as Constable Kumaresan. Soori earned critical acclaim, and his first film as a lead grossed ₹ 53 crore worldwide. The following year, he returned for Viduthalai: Part 2, which collected ₹ 55 crore worldwide. His film Garudan grossed ₹ 59.50 crore, and Maaman brought him ₹ 50.75 crore. The film co-starring Suhas and Mahima Nambiar will be released in theatres on September 10.
Meet Ramalakshmanan Muthuchamy Thevar. Soori worked numerous odd jobs before he got a break in the film industry, but still had to work uncredited roles for years. Soori’s journey has not been easy, with the actor often shortchanged and humiliated on set. He recently recalled in a Galatta interview that he was working with a major comedian and a leading superstar when he was asked to take off his shirt on set to give to the actor replacing him on the spot. “My shirt was tossed into the costume vehicle, and I was left standing on set in just a towel wrapped around my waist, searching for my clothes while they filmed the scene with someone else. It was humiliating,” he recalled. He has become a name to be reckoned with. Soori now has Mathimaran Pugazhendhi’s Mandaadi lined up. He also has Ram’s Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai with Nivin Pauly and Anjali.
He also painted walls, something lyricist Pa Vijay recently brought up at an event and said, “Once upon a time, you hung on a rope and painted walls.
The film industry and audiences suddenly saw a whole new side of an actor who had previously been relegated to comic relief and supporting roles. Today, he is known as an actor in his own right, Soori. Today, cinema is lifting you on its shoulders and taking you to the top.
