Tamil superstar Suriya on Bollywood films that inspire him

Mumbai (IANS) – Tamil superstar Suriya believes that films should give hope and inspiration, beyond entertainment. He is not against the concept of larger-than-life films, but he primarily looks for stories that inspire.

Although he has featured only in one Hindi film, “Rakht Charitra 2”, by Ram Gopal Varma, as an audience he does watch a lot of Bollywood films, and the ones inspired by true stories have certainly left him impressed.

“You always have a special place for films like ‘Neerja’, ‘Padman’, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ and ‘Manjhi’. These films somewhere take a special place in your heart. They not only tell stories, but also give hope and inspiration. They show how strong our people are,” Suriya told IANS.

It’s not like he is against the concept of larger-than-life films.

“I have done movies like ‘Singam’ and ‘Ghajini’, and I loved them. But for me movies, apart from entertainment, should have an impact. There should be some learning, something that you want to keep, something that will make you ponder. I think those takeaways are also important in movies apart from entertainment. Something that will make you think or change your beliefs…movies can do that. They help to take life decisions. I like those experiences,” he said.

“Sometimes we get feedback from people that families that had not spoken to each other for 10 years, got united after watching a film, so movies should not be just about music, dance and comedy. When you are able to leave an impact on someone’s life, those films are always timeless,” he added.

His recent release “Soorarai Pottru” has been praised by many for narrating an inspiring story. The film is a fictionalised account of the life of GR Gopinath, founder of the low cost airline Air Deccan.

“It is not a biopic. It’s a blend of a lot of instances. We have not named the main character Gopinath. Definitely his army backdrop, then being a teacher’s son, and getting into airline industry — all these are said in a different way in the movie. It’s more dramatic, making it a wonderful watch,” said Suriya.

The movie is available on Amazon Prime Video.

“Life has to go on and we need to adapt and do the best with whatever is possible. The theatres are slowly opening, but the decision (to release on an OTT platform) was taken months ago. This was the best decision we could have taken. Instead of the audience coming to us, this time we went to them,” said Suriya.