This Suraj rises high

“Since the second grade, I always wanted to be a hero. My mother who is presently a professor at a government engineering college, took me to watch Baazigar at a theatre when I was in Class II, I was so enthralled by the entry of the hero, and on witnessing the response of the audience cheering the hero, I just wanted to be one. Most of the members in my family are either engineers or doctors. So, I had very little choice. I finished engineering in Computer Science at Vidya Vikas College in Mysuru. I had just one year to either follow my dream or get back to engineering. Fortunately, I held on to my dreams,” says Suraj.

While pursuing his studies, he took up modelling, and also entered into various competitions. Suraj says, “In fact, I was kicked out of Mr Mysuru the year before I won the title. I returned to the contest after knowing the facts and requirements for the show. Later, I won a reality show titled Paradeshadalli Paradata which was aired on Zee Kannada. It was shot entirely in Thailand. Post the success, I was flooded with offers for TV serials. My aim was films, and only films, so I rejected all of them and entered the audition for Maduveya Mamatheya Kareyole, and I was lucky to have been selected,” he adds. Though technically Maduveya... is his debut film, he had already worked for another project Kahi.

Suraj shares that his younger sister, who is doing her graduation, is more thrilled about his acting debut than he is! “I share a special bond with her. Apart from all the silly fights, she is so excited about my movies. She keeps making me meet her friends introducing me like a star,” Suraj smiles.

His father, a director in an MNC company in the US, and his mother have been a great support system for him to see his dreams come true. “I am a trained singer too. I have taken classical singing lessons for about eight years, and I can play a lot of instruments including the piano, guitar and keyboard. It was my mother’s dream to learn music but as she could not do so, she made me learn,” he adds hoping that he can get an opportunity to turn singer too.

He thanks Dinakar Thoogudeepa for putting his faith in him, and Kaviraj for grooming him as an actor from scratch. “Working with Amulya, already a big star, was memorable. She is simply amazing, someone who is rooted and grounded, and does not show any kind of stardom while working. Working with Anant Nag sir was also just amazing, he made me feel at ease and I managed to act well, despite being nervous while facing the camera along side such a legend,” he signs off.