Actor Suriya recently opened up about his unexpected journey into the film industry in an interview with Pinkvilla. Surprisingly, he revealed that acting was never part of his plans. Initially, he envisioned starting his own company, but circumstances led him to take on acting to help pay off his mother’s Rs 25,000 loan.
Before entering the film world, Suriya worked in the garment industry. As a trainee, he earned just Rs 750 for 15 days of work, and after three years, his monthly salary reached Rs 8,000. He dreamed of launching his own business, hoping his father would invest Rs 1 crore as capital. Acting wasn’t even on his radar.
However, everything changed when his mother, Lakshmi, disclosed that she had taken a Rs 25,000 loan without his father's knowledge. Suriya shared, “Mom mentioned that our bank balance was never more than one or one and a half lakh, and Dad didn’t pressure for his salary; he simply waited for it to come. At that point, Dad hadn’t worked continuously for more than six to ten months.”
Although being the son of an actor meant Suriya received numerous offers, it was a persistent invitation from Mani Ratnam’s production that changed his course. He accepted the role, primarily to settle his mother’s loan. “I never envisioned myself in the film industry or dreamed of being in front of the camera. I entered this world to repay my mom and say, ‘Your loan is cleared; you don’t have to worry anymore.’ That’s how my career began and how I became Suriya,” he reflected.