Suraj

Biography:

Suraj, whose birth name is Suresh and born on December 31, 1977, is an Indian film director primarily known for his work in Tamil cinema, particularly in action and masala films. His career in the film industry began as an assistant director to the renowned filmmaker Sundar C. In this capacity, he contributed to Sundar C.’s comedy films like “Ullathai Allitha” and “Mettukudi” in 1996. He continued his work as an assistant director, including on the Rajinikanth-starrer “Arunachalam” in 1997, and co-directed the film “Janakiraman.”

After a brief hiatus, Suraj returned to assist Sundar C. and eventually made his directorial debut in 2006 with “Thalai Nagaram,” featuring his mentor Sundar C., Jyothirmayi, and comedian Vadivelu. He followed this up with his third film, “Marudhamalai” in 2007, starring Arjun, Nila, and Vadivelu. In 2009, Suraj directed “Padikathavan,” with Dhanush and Tamannaah, where Vadivelu was replaced by comedian Vivek due to scheduling conflicts. He continued to direct several films, including “Mappillai” in 2011, a remake of the 1989 film, starring Dhanush, Hansika Motwani, and Manisha Koirala. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office hit.

Subsequent projects included “Alex Pandian” in 2013 with Karthi and Anushka Shetty, “Sakalakala Vallavan” in 2015 starring Jayam Ravi, Anjali, and Trisha, and “Kaththi Sandai.” In 2022, Suraj directed “Naai Sekar Returns,” a film that revives Vadivelu’s character from “Thalai Nagaram” and presents him as a hilariously exaggerated rowdy known as Naai Sekar. Throughout his career, Suraj has maintained a presence in the Tamil film industry, especially in the realm of entertaining and action-packed cinema.