Suriya on movies that change beliefs

The actor gets talking about impacting audiences through films like Soorarai Pottru

Tamil superstar Suriya believes that films should give hope and inspiration, beyond entertainment. He is not against the concept of larger-than-life films, but he primarily looks for stories that inspire.

Although he has featured only in one Hindi film, “Rakht Charitra 2”, by Ram Gopal Varma, as an audience he does watch a lot of Bollywood films, and the ones inspired by true stories have certainly left him impressed.

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“You always have a special place for films like ‘Neerja’, ‘Padman’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and ‘Manjhi’. These films somewhere take a special place in your heart. They not only tell stories, but also give hope and inspiration. They show how strong our people are,” Suriya said.
It’s not like he is against the concept of larger-than-life films.

“I have done movies like ‘Singham’ and ‘Ghajini’, and I loved them. But for me movies, apart from entertainment, should have an impact. There should be some learning, something that you want to keep, something that will make you ponder. I think those takeaways are also important in movies apart from entertainment.

Something that will make you think or change your beliefs…movies can do that. They help to take life decisions. I like those experiences,” he said.

“Sometimes, we get feedback from people that families that had not spoken to each other for 10 years, got united after watching a film, so movies should not be just about music, dance and comedy. When you are able to leave an impact on someone’s life, those films are always timeless,” he added.

His recent release “Soorarai Pottru” has been praised by many for narrating an inspiring story. The film is a fictionalised account of the life of GR Gopinath, founder of the low cost airline Air Deccan.

“It is not a biopic. It’s a blend of a lot of instances. We have not named the main character Gopinath. Definitely his army backdrop, then being a teacher’s son, and getting into airline industry — all these are said in a different way in the movie.

To tell a story of someone who struggled through all odds to achieve this dream that changed the way common man travelled was an honour,” said Suriya. The actor said the passion and the vision director Sudha Kongara had for the story made him come on board as a producer and mount the movie as a pan-India project.

“She was really passionate about the subject. She gave me a new world as an actor… Also stories these days are not bound by regional boundaries,” he added. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video.

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