From Bollywood to the South, many stars have changed their names and used a different one on screen. Some stars took this decision on their own while others took this decision on someone's advice. The actor we are going to talk about today is a South superstar. This actor, who once used to work for just Rs 736, is today the owner of assets worth Rs 350 crores. People call this actor the 'Aata Majhi Satkali' actor, who came to the industry with all his heart and then created such a stir that he became the director's favorite.
This actor changed his name on the advice of a famous director. He started working in a cloth factory on minimum wage and wanted to become a businessman one day. However, fate brought him to the world of acting, and he became a favourite not only of the audience but also of the filmmakers. We are talking about South superstar Suriya.
Suriya, the son of actor Sivakumar, recently celebrated his 49th birthday and is one of the most popular actors in the South industry. He has worked in not one or two but many South blockbuster films from 'Soorarai Pottru' to 'Singham'. But, do you know that Suriya wasn't keen on acting as a career initially?
At the age of 20, Suriya was offered the film 'Aasai' but he turned down the offer. He took this decision to create a different identity from his father and started working in a cloth factory with a salary of just Rs 736. During an interview, Surya said, "When I was studying, being the son of an actor, people used to ask me if I would like to work with him. But father always said that before starting any work, get a degree and do something of your own."
Suriya wanted to start his own business. While working on a salary of Rs 736, he got the idea of a garment business but he was destined to become an actor. Suriya made his debut in 1997 with 'Nerukku Ner' at the age of 22. The film was produced by Mani Ratnam. After 'Nerukku Ner', Suriya's first four years in the industry were not good. He got the biggest opportunity in 2001 with the film 'Nandha'. In this film, he played the role of an ex-convict.
Let us tell you that to this date, very few people are aware of Suriya's real name. The actor, born Saravanan Sivakumar, was given the screen name Suriya by director Mani Ratnam. When Suriya entered the film world, there was another actor named Saravanan in the Tamil industry so Mani Ratnam suggested changing the name so that there are no identity clashes.
Apart from acting, Suriya has also tried his hand at production and playback singing. He married actress Jyothika in 2006. They have two children, a daughter named Diya and a son named Dev.
Currently, Suriya is one of the highest-paid actors in the South. According to media reports, the actor's total net worth is Rs 350 crore.
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