(This article is authored by Alar) 

It is fair to say that Suriya has been a Kollywood icon for the longest time. The actor has now hit an illustrious and momentous milestone of 25 years in Kollywood. Suriya has established a reputation for himself and is now a National Award winner after spending more than two decades in the Tamil film industry.

Suriya has unquestionably given Indian cinema some of the most iconic and powerful characters on screen through Nandha, Sakthi (Pithamagan), Anbuselvan (Kaakha Kaakha), Maara (Soorarai Pottru), Justice Chandru (Jai Bhim), and Rolex (Vikram). He has dominated the box office since the nineties and has handed some memorable hits. His incredibly successful career is punctuated by stellar, award-winning performances. His journey has been about constant learning for the enormous icon of Indian cinema.

On this date in 1997, Suriya Sivakumar made his acting debut in the film "Nerukku Ner," which is now celebrating its 25th anniversary. Thalapathy Vijay, who was still a rising young star at the time, also appeared in the film. Suriya, who had been employed by a garment export factory for eight months, caught the eye of director Vasanth, who hired him to play the role of Suriya in the Mani Ratnam-produced film Nerukku Ner.

It's important to note that Mani Ratnam chose Suriya as his screen name because it's his all-time favourite name for the characters he creates for his own films. Suriya has had a long and successful career, appearing in more than 50 films, some of which have become massive global hits. His earlier movies featured other stars in collaboration with him, including Vijay in Nerukku Ner, Ramesh Kanna and Vijay in Friends, and Vijaykanth in Periyanna.

Few of his films have been well received. In his second collaboration with Vasanth in the 1999 movie Poovellam Kettupar, Suriya starred for the first time with Jyothika, who later became his wife. Then, in 2001, Bala, who had just made his directorial debut with Sethu, gave him a memorable role to play in Nandha. His subsequent projects, including Mounam Pesiyathe, Kakkha Kakkba, Pithamagan, Ghajini, and Jillunu Oru Kadhal, were enormous successes.

There is still a separate fan base for the Gowthams' from Jillunu Oru Kadhal and Mounam Pesiyathe. In a short period of time, he delighted his fans with a variety of roles, including a charming romantic boy in Gowtham Vasudev Menon's Varanam Aayiram, an urban countryman in Vel, a stern police officer in Singam, and a bearer of multiple identities for covert missions in Ayan and Aadhavan.

After 2010, he experienced some of the harshest backlashes, but only the '7 am Arivu' and 'Singam 2', stoutly stand through his unrated films like Anjaan, Raktha Charithram, Maatraan, Massu Engira Masilamani, Pasanga 2, and Kaapan, released during the past decade, until his stardom rose with a breakthrough endeavour with Sudha Kongara's project. 

Suriya teamed up with Sudha Kongara for Nedumaran Raajangam in Soorarai Potru, which conferred him with a National Award Winning, a precious honour for his exceptional performance. After Soorarai Pottru, it was a lineup of success for Suriya. From Jai Bhim, Etharkum Thunindhavan to the recently released blockbuster 'Vikram' where he played a crucial part, these films have unravelled the next level actor in him.

The dream projects of legendary Kollywood directors like Siruthai Shiva's untitled film Suriya42, Pa. Ranjth's German, and Lokesh Kanagaraj's Irumbu Kai Maayavi are also on this actor's bucket list. Now that Suriya has finally started to Rise in the East of Cinema, every director wants to make a movie with him. It's indeed a remarkable silver jubilee for a Gold in Indian cinema. 

Amidst being an actor, Suriya has been sporting various avatars in real life. He knows that the industry must be preserved with ceaseless stories and this trait of his would come out in his selection of stories as a producer. He has shown a deep commitment and zeal in producing and presenting good movies to the people though it lands in controversy on the other side of the aisle. He has benchmarked his career as an excelling producer and he has bankrolled dozens of movies under his banner 2D Entertainment. 

Looking out of the cinema, Suriya is an endearing social activist for everyone. Being an inevitable force in the industry, he is transforming the lives of thousands of students by funding them for their education. Through his Agaram Foundation, Suriya is finding the future and nurturing the young minds across the communities and for many across and beyond the borders, Suriya stands tall envisioning the miles ahead. Celebrating this very special day, Suriya took to Twitter and wrote, "Truly a beautiful and blessed 25 years..! Dream and believe..!". 

Truly a beautiful and blessed 25years..! Dream and believe..!
Your suriya.

— Suriya Sivakumar (@Suriya_offl) September 6, 2022