Actor Suri has acted in small roles in many films starting from Valandanku Mishma to Bhima and became popular among fans with the 2009 film Vanilla Kabadi Team. Suri, who has acted in many films as a comedian and character actor, made his debut in Tamil cinema as a hero with Vethimaran’s Vithimaran.
The highlight of this film is that Suri has played the hero of a story rather than a commercial hero full of stomping action scenes. A student of the late legendary director Balu Mahendra, Vethimaran has cast Suri in the lead role in his directorial debut and transformed her into a new Suri.
Suri has now joined the list of Madurai natives who have made a name for themselves in the success stories of everyday people in the unlikely film industry of Kodambakkam. Despite being in the film industry since 1997, Vanilla gained attention with the movie Kabadi Team (2009). In this film he eats 50 parathas to win a race. This scene is still enjoyed by many. Through this he got the name ‘Barota Suri’.
“I’m happy,” says Suri, who has come a long way in 25 years to a point where she feels she can do any kind of role well. But after a moment’s thought he spoke about how he feels now. He feels a sense of relief as the release has been in the works for about two years. At the same time, he said that he is thinking whether to continue or stop his journey, comparing this journey to an airplane.
Also I have been asking Vetrimaran sir’s assistant Manimaran for a long time to give me a chance to act only a few scenes in his films and I had told him that it should not be a comedy scene. Mani Maran said that I have a role in the film Kekar Vetri Sir and he himself will call me. I did not sleep that night waiting for the call, but the call never came. I kept fussing with mani and finally sent Vetri sir’s phone number and told me to talk to him.
I stayed awake for a whole night wondering if I should call him again or not. Then finally I sent him a message and he invited me back to his office. When I got there he gave me an outline of a story and I was thinking about which role to play. However, he had an actor for all the supporting characters and I was wondering what was in store for me.
At the end, he said, “You play the role of the hero.” I sat there without replying, slowly came out of the office, sat in the car, asked my driver to start the car and left happily. But this happiness didn’t last long as the film was eventually dropped. Then my plane landed.
Also Vethimaran is busy with Dhanush’s Asuraan. However, Vetri had said that he was in a joint venture with me. “Usually, Vetri sir’s film is a hit and Asuran becomes a blockbuster. And so the rumors of her hooking up with Vijay started, and there were reports of her hooking up with Suriya. I thought ok. But he called me again and said let’s start another film with Dubai as the backdrop. Then my plane regained altitude.
The first photo shoot of the film took place. Vetri and I shared a caravan. As I was getting ready at one end of the vehicle, I got a call from the director. In that call I could hear the director talking about ‘where’, ‘how much’. I was a little worried about what it would be about. But then I knew something was wrong, Suri says.
During this period Suri was also turning down offers for his other films. But Vethimaran had told him not to withdraw from any film without consulting him. After that, when asked about Rajini sir’s film Annatha, he said that it is a dream come true moment for anyone in the industry and asked him to act in the film. Don’t miss Sivakarthikeyan’s Don, he said. Because ours is a winning alliance that must not stop. However, I have avoided other films and said that I did not tell Vetri sir as he would postpone the release film.
Later on how the release came about, Suri says, After Corona and Lockdown, Vetri sir called me again and told me that he is dropping the Dubai film as he cannot do it now. I was embarrassed. But I nodded my head. But finally, when he said, ‘I have another story,’ my flight took off again. It was then that he told the story of liberation, and now I am. After about two to three years of waiting.” This time the plane actually took off!
It was difficult for a comedian to adapt to a successful performance. “On the first day as a trainee constable, there was a scene where he had to climb a rope and take a beating from a senior. I reacted to all this the way I did in my films. That’s all I know. Speaking to me after the shot, Vetri told me that I don’t want ‘that’ Suri. He asked him to do as he was asked. From the next day onward, though I struggled to suppress that sun, I never cheated of success. I think. For me, a comedian can play any role because it is difficult to make people laugh. If one can do that, he can play any role.
My wife also wondered why Vetrimaran chose Suri for the role. He doesn’t know you, so why do you?’ She asked me, many actors would be lining up to act in her direction. But once I asked Manimaran what was the reason for choosing me. ‘Vetty saw in you the innocence needed for that character.’ Vetri sir once told me the same thing and asked me to never lose that innocence.
What’s more impressive about Suri is that he is self-aware, which is why he is no longer interested in doing only hero films. “But it has happened now. It is very good. But you never know what’s going to happen next. I am ready to play any role. There is always ‘that’ Suri in me. I will board any bus that comes my way. I will ask about the destination when I get there.”
He adds that he will continue to act with Sivakarthikeyan and that he will always have a place in that ‘house’. “SK mentioned that they now have to find a new actor to replace me. “That will never happen as my place in his films is permanent and I told him that I will always return to that house,” he said.
Suri will next be seen in the lead role in Kotukkali directed by PS Vinodraj of Koozhangal fame. She will be seen playing a pivotal role in one film directed by Aamir and another with director Ram. So it looks like his plane will be in the air for a while longer. Based on the short story of Jayamohan’s Subapanvan, the film Vimithya will release on March 31.
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