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The rising sun

DOWN-TO-EARTH Suriya

Suriya used to be an actor who was self-conscious and uncomfortable in front of the camera. But he has evolved into a thinking man's actor, choosing his roles and the causes he supports with care. His rise to stardom began with Bala's Nanda, a movie that he says changed the way he looked at himself.

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 proving to be a big market with more than 20 prints being released. He did not expect this kind of success, but is happy that even Aamir Khan watches his movies now. His recent releases (Kaakha Kaakha, Ghajini, Perazhagan and Aaru) have hit the bull's eye.

Choosing roles

How does he go about choosing his films?

"I go by instinct. Being accepted is such a relief. You then know you are on the right track and understand what the audience wants." Earlier, he says, he was not able to deliver. Till Nanda. "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 busy with Jillendru Oru Kaathal.

His dance is also receiving appreciation. For a person who once had two left feet, how did he manage this? "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.

His down-to-earth image portrayed on screen extends into real life too. He recently spent time with Lakshmi Prabha, a software engineer who suffers from memory loss. "I appreciate 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. Her story is real. It is a clear-cut example of the condition shown in the movie." In fact, Suriya gifted her the camera he used in the film, 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 promote Directly Observed Treatment Short-Course (DOTS). And, he is the brand ambassador for the Tamil Nadu Kidney Research Foundation (TANKER).

Between his assignments, he took time off to write his life story for the Tamil magazine, Kalki. The series had him talking about his fears, struggles and success. "I had mentioned in an interview about how I came out of my shell. A teacher said my life story could prove useful for parents. In fact, later, one boy said he had learnt a lot from the series."

Reading the series was a revelation for his father, actor Sivakumar. "He said, `I did not know all this happened... you have managed to get over all your problems so well'."

SUBHA J RAO

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