Kanguva star Suriya used to work in garment factory for Rs 1,200

From garment worker to actor: Suriya became an actor to pay off his mother's loan. As a worker at a garment factory, he earned a monthly salary of Rs 1,200. Suriya will next be seen in Kanguva, which opens on November 14.

Kollywood superstar Suriya is an accidental actor. Yes, you read it right! Suriya had no desire to follow in the footsteps of his actor father, Sivakumar, just like other star kids. Instead, he began his career as a garment factory worker with a monthly pay of Rs 1,200. However, his family's financial situation pushed him into movies.

Actor Suriya

"This is going to be a long story. I just want them [fans] to know how I feel and what it means to me," Suriya told to a media house, reflecting about his early days in the garment industry. As a trainee, he earned only Rs 750 for the first 15 days, but after nearly three years, he earned Rs 8,000 monthly. 

The actor told a key moment when his mother told the family's financial difficulties: “I have borrowed Rs 25,000 and your father doesn’t know.” Shocked, he asked about their savings, only to learn that their bank balance had never exceeded a lakh. His father, Sivakumar, was also not doing many films at the time. "When I saw my mom struggling to pay that amount, it hit me hard. I thought to myself, ‘What am I doing?’”

The Kanguva actor said that his father never asked for his income from the makers: "He never asks for his salary. He waits until the makers clear his payment.”

Suriya

Suriya initially wanted to build his factory, expecting his father to spend a crore in it. "But that one conversation with my mother changed everything," he told me. Despite receiving multiple film offers due to his ancestry, he had no intention of entering the industry. He went on: "Until five days before facing a camera, I didn't ever think I would be doing this."

Addressing his fans, Suriya admitted, "I started into the profession for money. I just entered the sector with the goal of repaying my mother's loan. That's how I began my career and became Suriya."

He remembered his first shot on site, surrounded by people who had no idea who he was. "After my shot, I heard them hooting and clapping. Ever since, generations changed, audiences changed, but I continue to receive unconditional love."