From working as a labourer for Rs 20 a day to getting crores as fee: Soori’s cinema journey

Soori, formerly known as Surya, has an incredible journey that began in a modest household in Madurai with six siblings. Growing up, he was inspired by Rajinikanth's films and changed his name from Ramalakshmanan to Surya, eventually adopting Soori in the film industry. Before he entered cinema, Soori worked as a daily wage labourer in Tiruppur at the age of 16, earning Rs 20 per day.

He saved half of his earnings to support his family and barely survived on the rest. At 19, Soori moved to Chennai to become an actor but faced numerous struggles, working as a cleaner and painter to make ends meet. He took on uncredited roles in films, sometimes appearing in background scenes, and gained recognition through his comedic timing in Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu in 2009.

This breakthrough led to a successful career in Tamil cinema, collaborating with Sivakarthikeyan and eventually landing the lead role in Annatthe, opposite Rajinikanth in 2021. Soori's performance in the political drama Viduthalai Part 1 (2023) further solidified his status as a leading man, and he currently has multiple projects in production, including Mandaadi, set to release in September 2024.