Thalapathy Vijay's 'Jilla' co-star once earned just Rs 20 a day, couldn't afford Rs 1.25 bun, spent years doing small roles; now he is a lead actor with multiple Rs 50 crore hits

Thalapathy Vijay's Jilla co-star Soori once earned just ₹20 a day while doing odd jobs in Tiruppur. At the time, even a ₹1.25 coconut bun was difficult for him to afford. He would often settle for tea and send part of his weekly earnings back home.

Decades later, the Tamil actor has gone from being a struggling daily wage worker to becoming a lead actor with several successful films. His journey included years of small and supporting roles, work as a painter and difficult experiences on film sets before director Vetrimaaran gave him a major opportunity with Viduthalai: Part 1.

Soori earned ₹20 a day in Tiruppur

In 1993, Soori worked odd jobs with friends in Tiruppur. He earned Rs 20 a day, which added up to Rs 140 a week. He sent Rs 70 of that home every week, leaving very little for himself. He often could not even afford a coconut bun that cost Rs 1.25, and settled for just tea instead. Soori shared these details at a promotional event for his film Maaman in Tiruppur in May 2025 reportedly. The story has since become one of the most repeated parts of his journey, showing just how far he has come.

From odd jobs to small film roles

Soori had been working in the film industry since at least 1998, but stayed largely uncredited for years, doing small supporting roles that rarely got noticed. He also worked as a painter before finding steady work in films. Lyricist Pa Vijay spoke about this at a recent public event, saying that Soori once hung from a rope to paint walls, and today cinema is lifting him to the top instead.

Soori got his first real break in 2009. His role in the film Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu earned him the nickname Parotta Soori, a name that stuck with him for years, he said in an earlier Behindwoods interview.

He also faced humiliation on a film set

Soori has spoken about being treated poorly on sets during his years as a supporting actor. In a Galatta interview held for the Mandaadi promotions, he recalled an incident from the sets of a film featuring a well known comedian and a leading star.

He said his shirt was taken from him and handed to another actor who had been brought in to replace him in the scene at the last minute. Soori said he was left standing on set wearing only a towel, searching for his clothes, while the scene was shot without him. He called the experience humiliating.

Vijay connection came before his lead-actor breakthrough

Soori also worked with some of Tamil cinema's biggest stars during his years in supporting roles. His filmography includes Jilla, in which he acted alongside Thalapathy Vijay, as well as films featuring Rajinikanth and Sivakarthikeyan.

Soori's real name is Ramalakshmanan Muthuchamy Thevar. He changed it to Surya after being inspired by Rajinikanth's character in the 1991 film Thalapathi, directed by Mani Ratnam. Soori spoke about this during a Behindwoods interview held for the promotions of Mandaadi.

He said he is an absolutely crazy fan of Rajinikanth, and that the admiration went so far that he took on the same name as the character. The name later became Soori once he entered the film industry and needed a shorter screen name.

But while he had already shared screen space with major stars, Soori had not yet received the kind of role that could establish him as a serious lead actor.

Vetrimaaran changed his career

In 2023, director Vetrimaaran cast Soori as the lead in Viduthalai Part 1, where he played Constable Kumaresan. The film showed a different side of Soori, who till then had mostly played comic and supporting roles. It earned him critical acclaim and collected Rs 53 crore worldwide.

He returned as the lead the following year in Viduthalai Part 2, which brought in Rs 55 crore worldwide. His film Garudan collected Rs 59.50 crore, and Maaman added Rs 50.75 crore to his tally. Soori has become one of the most sought after lead actors in Tamil cinema today, a big leap from his years as a background artist.

Multiple ₹50 crore-plus films

His career continued to grow after the Viduthalai films. Garudan, in which Soori played a lead role, collected around ₹59.50 crore worldwide, while Maaman earned around ₹50.75 crore worldwide, according to reported box-office figures.

The numbers mark a dramatic change from the actor's early years, when he was counting ₹20 daily wages and struggling to spend ₹1.25 on a bun.

Soori now has several lead projects lined up, including Mandaadi, which also stars Suhas and Mahima Nambiar.

His journey from a daily wage worker in Tiruppur to an actor with multiple ₹50 crore-plus films is a reminder of how long his climb in Tamil cinema took. Before the lead roles and box-office successes came years of odd jobs, small parts and setbacks that were largely invisible to audiences.