10 Best Movies of Suriya in Tamil Career

Why Kollywood Fans Love Actor Suriya

Suriya has been a pillar of strength in Tamil cinema for over 20 years and if you’ve ever stayed up all night watching his movies, it’s not hard to see why. From high-octane actioners to gut-wrenching dramas and even laugh-out-loud comedies, Suriya’s filmography is a sumptuous spread. The alchemy of his films isn’t just in the tales they tell, but in how you feel about the characters he plays. Sometimes you cry with them, sometimes you cheer for them, but never are you merely an observer.

 Audience favorites have come and gone throughout the years, and lists of his “best” movies resurface only to be debated all over again. Today, we’re going to explore the ten finest Tamil movies of Suriya’s career. The ones that turned all of us into fans of his acting talents for life, one epic scene at a time.

10 Best Movies of Suriya in Tamil Career

1) Vaaranam Aayiram (2008)

Vaaranam Aayiram What a film that is to walk straight into your heart and not come out: pure cinema, moving cinema. Suriya isn’t just the hero here, he’s every son, every partner and every friend you’ve ever known. As the son-and-father duo, Suriya effortlessly pulls off the close emotional shifts to a point where halfway through you forget we are watching one and the same actor. The director, Gautham Menon, bridges family drama and romance with a correct dosing of nostalgia. The places where Suriya found his way between love and loss, the tears are contagious without feeling forced, heck, here’s betting one of its fans logs onto this movie any time they need a good cry (or just a nice reminder of their own dads).

Harris Jayaraj’s music is an emotional rocket, specially “Mundhinam Paartheney” and “Nenjukkul Peidhidum,” you can almost feel the moments life surprises you with. But what really elevates this movie into classic territory are the little things. The varying unobtrusive body language of Suriya as he transitions from Surya Senior to Surya Junior. Simran performs the mother and wife with élan, and let’s just say whenever locations crop up You can rely on Sim Garewal to bring back some of those visual treats. By the time the credits roll, many of us are trying to find our phones so we can text a “love you” to our very own parents. This is one of the ones that's always going to be at the top of any Suriya list, and for good reason.pic.

2) Nandha (2001)

Not many actors would have dared to play a character as intense as Nandha so early on in their career but Suriya wore the skin of this role like he’d been doing it for decades, and his boldness paid off big time. Directed by Bala, this film not only pushed the envelope as far as Suriya’s acting skills were concerned, but stretched it. He is a youth fresh out of a juvenile home, desperate to win acceptance in a world that continues to close doors on him. The performance isn’t showy, but you can feel the pain and longing in every scene.

Nandha’s relationship with his mother (played by Rajkiran) is the film’s beating heart and the emotional payoffs are gritty and deeply satisfying. Laila slides into the world with grace,and tones down Suriya’s brooding self a tad. The music, by Yuvan Shankar Raja, adds an extra layer of melancholy that hangs on well after the song is over. It is not candy coated visually, and Bala’s rugged storytelling gives you all the jagged edges to make those glimpses of hope feel even more gratifying. Nandha was a gamechaging film for Suriya, who showed critics and his fans that he wasn’t just another star hero but an actor capable of going deep when the character demanded it.

3) Kaakha Kaakha (2003)

If you ever thought how Suriya transitioned from an actor to an action hero, just watch Kaakha Kaakha. As ACP Anbuselvan, Suriya hits just the right notes between iron-willed resolve and the weaknesses of a man in love. The police thriller is directed by Gautham Menon with an edge-of-the-seat urgency that can be felt in almost every scene, particularly when Suriya goes head to head with the villainous Pandya.

Suriya and Jyothika’s chemistry is unfathomably electric, with the romance lending clockwork heartbeats to a narrative of gunfire and danger. Antagonists Daniels Balaji and Jeevan also shine in their respective roles, while making the hero’s journey even more engaging. Harris Jayaraj’s soundtrack keeps the action going, especially that evergreen “Uyirin Uyire.” Suriya is fully in the cop-who’s-vulnerable-and-heroic mode. His meltdowns carry as much impact as his bullet-spraying, opponents-felling face-offs. This movie’s got it all: chase scenes that leave you breathless, lived-in romance and a central performance that made audiences sit up and take Suriya seriously in mass roles.

4) Pithamagan (2003)

Now, this is what I call adaptable. Pithamagan tends to be more readily associated with Vikram, but really Suriya’s performance as Sakthi is nothing short of fantastic. In a despairing but lovely story, Suriya brings hilarity and life. You’ll immediately warm to his garrulous, slightly eccentric character all the more because he’s sharing screentime with the intense, brooding Vikram. Their ill-matched friendship is the core of the film.

In Bala’s world nothing is ever easy, but Suriya makes us feel for this character in personal ways beyond the conceptual. Whether that’s in the form of a scene that makes you laugh out loud, or one where it tugs your heartstrings, his vibrancy is contagious. Ilaiyaraaja’s music, notably the wistful “Pirai Thedum,” lends it an earworm quality. This role of the character shows that Suriya can have an impact even in a supporting role.

5) Perazhagan (2004)

Have you ever wanted to watch a talented actor vanish into a role? Watch Suriya in Perazhagan. He does not play just one, but two completely different characters: a hunchback called Chinna and also a good looking college going Karthik. What Suriya does here is just magic. It’s Chinna’s innocent smile and kind heart that most people remember, not the star Suriya.

Opposite Jyothika, who also gets a double role, the film offers laughs as well as pathos. “Manorama” and Vivek inject all their magic in supporting roles. This is not just a love story but an ode to every kind of relationship. The music for the film is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, who proves his mastery over melody and soul in songs like “Azagey Sugama” that leaves you humming even after leaving the theatres. Director Sasi establishes a tone that vacillates between scenes of laugh-out-loud humor and ones that are genuinely moving, and Suriya’s ability to switch between both characters with ease is exactly what people keep referring to when they say this one ranks as one of his greatest performances.

6) Ghajini (2005)

Psycho thrillers and Tamil cinema rarely blend together so well as in Ghajini. Suriya’s turn as a businessman with short term memory loss hell-bent on revenge in the lead role of Sanjay Ramaswamy was an instant classic. It helps that director A.R. Murugadoss deftly weaves a compelling narrative with emotional kick, allowing Suriya to showcase intensity and vulnerability in equal measure as he lurches from confusion to rage to heartbreak.

Even with the romance bits with Asin, which add a level of sweetness that hits the subsequent tragedies even harder. Pradeep Rawat as the villain brings in the required amount of menace and Nayanthara’s cameo acts as an anchor to the story that keeps changing. Harris Jayaraj gives a fantastic tunes and among the best ones are "Oru Maalai" and "Suttum Vizhi Chudare". And those action sequences, in particular the nail-biting’s-pacey “tattoo reminders,” stick with you long after it’s time to hit pause. It’s Suriya’s ability to make us want to cheer for a man on the brink of sanity that lifts Ghajini from just another thriller, into being an emotion-rollercoaster most Tamils love re-watching.

7) Ayan (2009)

Some movies are straight-up fun, from the first moment to the very last, and Ayan is comfortably positioned in this zone. The backdrop is international smuggling, Suriya essaying Deva: a street-smart, charming rogue-a heartwarming character who will easily have you falling in love with the world he inhabits and has his moral dilemmas play out to real-life scenarios. KV Anand givest the audiences an adrenaline-packed adventure with memorable chase sequences, eyepopping action and neat surprises.

The action sequences in Africa remain one of the best ever choreographed for a Tamil film and to date, fans fervently watch out for the “diamond chase” set-piece. The film also has a strong supporting cast in Tamannaah and Prabhu, and Harris Jayaraj’s soundtrack will make you tap your feet. I found “Vizhi Moodi Yosithal” to be particularly earwormy. What holds it all together, however, is Suriya’s effortless swagger and plain-speaking dialogue delivery. Deva is humorous and human, and you find yourself rooting for this trouble-making tween. And there’s a reason why fans return Ayan’s well when they crave for a masala entertainer with high octane action.

8) Singam (2010)

What comes to your mind when you think of full on mass masala? You guessed it Paruthiveeran Suriya’s Singam and his iconic cop avathar. In this Hari-directed film, Suriya’s Duraisingam isn’t just a police officer… he might actually be kidding himself if you believe him to get there. The film does what mainstream Tamil cinema does best punchlines, acrobats, romantic duets and high-voltage drama hurtling at you simply to mess with your head.

Suriya’s cat-and-mouse game with antagonist Prakash Raj (who plays the villain Mayil Vaaganam) is nothing short of explosive. The lazy pacing in the second half is also attributed to lack of situational comedy (that Vivek manages to generate from an apathetic narration, exalting a lame duck) and too much thrills. Devi Sri Prasad provides the massy feel with his foot-tapping numbers “Singam Singam” and “Stole My Heart.” Suriya somehow is able to pull off the film’s extremities with a straight face and complete conviction, so his dialogue delivery (Like “Anbu. Thuimai. Aarvam. Duraisingam!”) iconic in popular culture. Even if you’re not a fan of action movies, you have to appreciate the pleasure that is this flawless commercial package. It'senergetic, inspiring and infinitely rewatchable.

9) 24 Movie (2016)

This is a movie where Suriya gets to have it in more ways than one. High-concept time travel thriller 24 sees Suriya in triple roles as the likeable scientist, evil twin and congenial hero, directed by Vikram Kumar. The twists in the plot are as wild as the performances: sometimes it’s dazzling sci-fi, and at others, full out emotional drama.

Samantha, both of them ideally cast and terrific in their roles, in a movie that is visually designed to be slick but never feel cold. A.R. Rahman songs such as Kaalam Na Prechan and Megham Karukatha are already classics. What does catch your eye is how he alternates his look, voice and expressions for each character. Especially as the merciless Athreya, one of his best villain turns yet. The movie received several accolades, and turned out to be one of Suriya’s biggest commercial successes. If it’s one of the more pure cases of acting versatility you’re looking for in your high-budget Tamil spectacle, this is your ticket.

10) Soorarai Pottru (2020)

Any Suriya’s Best, Soorarai Pottru, should be counted on it. A biopic on the life of Air Deccan founder Captain G.R. Gopinath, this Sudha Kongara directorial brought out a gutsy, all-heart Suriya we hadn’t seen before. As Maara, Suriya roils from anger to heartbreak to steely resolve battling linchpin corruption in ways that will make you want to root for him in urination. His equally loving wife, played by Aparna Balamurali, is no less strong. Paresh Rawal is suitably menacing as the villain who attempts to clip Maara’s dreams.

G.V. Prakash’s music sets every inspirational mood with songs like “Veyyon Silli” and “Kaattu Payale” that are pure earworms. So much more than a “hero” movie, it’s about hope, grit and daring to pursue one’s great dreams. Suriya is appealing, and the manner in which he involves himself with the travails of the character makes you want him to succeed right until the final frame. To those who teared up at the climax, you’re not alone. Soorarai Pottru is a contemporary classic that ensures Suriya never fails to go the extra yard in offering us something fresh.

Sorarai Pottru was a contemporary classic that easily made it to our list of 10 Brilliant Tamil Films from 2020 you need to watch.

Conclusion

Suriya’s films have been memorable for his ability to make us believe in his characters and how they relate to common experiences of love, loss, anger and hope. Of course, picking just 10 is impossible. Ask any rabid Suriya fan, and you’ll get another twenty names that would be worthy additions to the list. Movies such as Aaytha Ezhuthu, Aadhavan, Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, Vel and Raktha Charithra 2 and also his darker comedies like Mayavi are testament to the different shades the actor has showcased.

No matter the genre he’s in, Suriya never phones it in, and Tamil cinema is all the better for it. This isn’t just a series of movies for his fans. They’re part of what it means to love movies in Tamil Nadu. To all of us who are his fans here, Suriya, may you continue to make our head and heart laugh and weep.