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The Rising Sun

Suriya's different. In the roles he chooses and the causes he supports, writes Subha J Rao

A THINKING MAN'S ACTOR Suriya

It is a press meet to launch a new bike and actor Suriya, the brand ambassador, exudes the same sincerity he does on screen.

He used to be an actor who was self-conscious and uncomfortable in front of the camera.

But now he has evolved into a thinking man's actor, choosing his roles and the causes he supports with care.

His rise to stardom started with Bala's Nanda, a movie, Suriya says, changed the way he looked at himself.

"I did have my dad's support, but it was brave of Bala to select me. If not for Bala, I don't know how I would have turned out."

With his movies being dubbed into Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, Suriya is a happening star in the South.

Even Mumbai, where his films used to see a limited release of three or four prints, is now a big market with more than 20 prints.

He did not expect this kind of success, but is happy that even Aamir Khan sees his movies now.

His recent releases, be it the upmarket Kaakha Kaakha and Ghajini or the rustic Perazhagan and Aaru have all hit the bull's eye.

How does he go about choosing his films?

"I decide certain things, based on intuition. Being accepted is such a relief. You then know you are on the right track and understand audience need."

Earlier, he says, he was not able to deliver. Till Nanda. "That film gave me clarity. It gave me my break as a creative person."

He is not overly concerned about the `different' looks he sports in his films. "Looks don't matter. The dimension you give the character does," he says. He is now shooting for the breezy Jillendru oru kaathal.

His dance is also coming in for praise. For a person who once had two left feet, how did this happen? "I still have a long way to go. Brinda master (choreographer) makes me look good on screen. She knows what I am comfortable with," he smiles.

Reel vs Real

His honest-to-god on screen image extends into real life too. He recently spent time with Lakshmi Prabha, a software engineer who is living with short-term memory loss. An accident left her like a small child with no continuous memory of her husband or child.

"It was very real meeting her. I liked the way she is leading her life," he says.

Would it have made any difference if he had seen her before working on his character in Ghajini?

"Yes. She is real. Hers is a clear-cut example of the condition showcased in the movie."

And, before he left her Chennai home, Suriya gifted her the camera he used in the film to partially overcome his problem. And earned another fan for life.

The actor supports various causes. He acted in Janaki Viswanathan's documentary on tuberculosis, Inaindha Kaigal, where he did his bit to popularise Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS).

And, he is the brand ambassador of the Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER) (Visit www.tankerfoundation.com or call 044-28273407/2825.) He is a regular at their meetings and has seen how kidney disease affects people. "After treatment, people are able to live, dance... "

"Cancer and AIDS are popular among donors. But, there are other diseases that are crying out for funds," he says.

His commercial endorsements help pay for his favourite causes. "The payment they (sponsors) give helps the projects I support. So, I do my maximum for a brand."

In between his choc-a-bloc assignments, he took time off to write his life story for a Tamil magazine, Kalki.

The series had him talking about his fears, struggles and success.

"I never thought that my past history would be useful. I had mentioned in an interview about how I came out of my shell. A teacher said that it will be a good guide for parents, that even in a family like mine (his father is actor Sivakumar), a child can feel lost," he says.

"Parents can at times forget to do some things. I merely said what I went through. Later, one boy said he had learnt a lot from the series. Till then, I had not spoken or discussed this with my parents."

Reading the series was a revelation for his father. "He said, `I did not know all this happened ... you have suffered so much, but overcome it all in such a nice way'."

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