A Suriya retrospective as a new movie launches

Suriya's journey from a gawky Loyola College student to a successful actor with a loyal fan base.

In the Loyola College of the 1990s, a gawky lad was part of the B. Com class. He answered to the name of Saravanan and blended in with the regular crowd. In an institution where many students were known for the prominence their parents had, Saravanan was an exception. He did have an origin story, though, as his father was actor Siva Kumar, who largely preferred being low-profile. Not many knew this, and the youngster liked to keep it that way. He hung out with a few classmates and there was no bling. Sometimes, he would be with a few buddies near Bertram Hall, shooting the breeze.

At the same time Vijay was pursuing B. Sc (Visual Communication), he had already made his debut as an actor, and beyond the point of his being director S.A. Chandrasekhar’s son, an individual identity was being carved. Obviously, there were a few, who hung around him with the lines being blurred between friendship and fandom.

Saravanan later moved into the garment sector before finding a second wind on the silver screen through his debut flick Nerukku Ner in 1997. Incidentally, his fellow Loyolite Vijay was the other hero and the film, helmed by Vasanth  and produced by Mani Ratnam, did well at the box office. And yes, Saravanan was rechristened as Suriya, the leading man, whose latest Retro has lapped up a good reception at the theatres.

Back then, the debutant’s nerves were evident and Suriya admitted in subsequent interviews that he felt awkward in his new profession. This was different from what transpired with his younger brother Karthi, who in his debut film Paruthiveeran in 2007, looked the part and was seen as a finished product.

As the years went by, Suriya evolved, and he also found more validation through Friends in 2001, again co-starring Vijay. Finally, Bala’s Nandhaa helped Suriya reveal his acting chops. This was no longer the leave-me-alone boy from Loyola. He was now an actor, willing to drop his shackles and merge into the character.

Stardom was a step away, and once Gautham Menon’s Kaakha Kaakha found its mark in 2003, Suriya’s celluloid fortunes were in the ascendant. And just like Kandukondein Kandukondein helped  Ajith Kumar gain an extra audience beyond the Vindhyas , Kaakha Kaakha helped Suriya in bridging the gender-divide and attracting more female fans.

His career may have seen its share of ups and downs, but at 49, Suriya still has that aura. As Retro showed, his box-office initial pull remains intact as long as he gets good scripts. And the old Saravanan remains in touch with his college gang.