Suja Varunee

Suja Varunee is an Indian former actress who has appeared in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam language films. She is the winner of BB Jodigal (season 2).

Career Aged fourteen, Suja was selected to portray the leading role in the coming-of-age, romantic drama Plus Two (2002) after being recommended to the film's director Ramana by her neighbour Rajarajan, who was a cinematographer. Her parents were initially reluctant to allow Suja to act in films at such a young age, but later agreed. The film took a low-profile opening at the box office and did not perform well, prompting Suja to take a break from the film industry. In 2004, Suja was offered a chance to perform in a dance number in the Srikanth–starrer Varnajalam (2004), which she accepted, prompting several other film makers to approach her for similar roles. Throughout the mid-2000s, Suja became popular for such glamorous, single song appearances and worked on projects including Maayavi (2005), Pallikoodam (2007), Kuselan (2008) and Jayamkondaan (2008). Amidst several appearances in single songs, Suja had the opportunity to portray minor supporting roles in films including A. K. Lohithadas's Kasthuri Maan (2005) and Masala (2005). Suja has since reflected on that period in her career and stated she "used to get song offers almost every other day" but "did not know then that the industry would brand [her] as an item girl" and that she "did not have the proper guidance".

Following her appearance in the Rajinikanth-starrer Kuselan (2008), Suja actively supports Patali Makkal Katchi and sought to shed her image of being a glamorous dancer and move towards portraying supporting roles. The director of Kuselan, P. Vasu, supported her move and cast her in two of his subsequent films – the Kannada horror-comedy Aptharakshaka (2010) and its Telugu remake, Nagavalli (2010). The roles meant that she received further opportunities in the Telugu language with roles in films including Gundello Godari (2013) and Doosukeltha (2013), as well as the lead role in the low-budget comedy film Alibaba Okkade Donga (2014) opposite Ali. Simultaneously, she began to work in key roles in Tamil films, winning acclaim for her role as a traditional village girl in Milaga (2010), while also playing key roles in black comedy Settai (2013) and science-fiction film, Appuchi Gramam (2014). Suja won acclaim for her portrayal of a fiery, rustic woman in the village drama, Kidaari (2016), where she starred alongside Sasikumar.

In 2017, she expressed her disappointment of her scenes in films being cut through a Twitter post. The move followed reports that her scenes were edited out in the film, Kuttram 23 (2017). She has finished her commitments for films including the Arulnithi-starrer Iravukku Aayiram Kangal, Thamira's Aan Devathai, Arun Vijay's Vaa Deal and Sathru among other projects. In 2017, Suja took part in the reality television show Bigg Boss hosted by Kamal Haasan, where she entered on day 52.

Personal life Suja is wife of the actor Shivaji Dev. In August 2019 she gave birth to their first child a baby boy Adhvaaith

Filmography Year Film Role Language Notes 2002 Plus 2 Tamil 2003 Ilasu Pudhusu Ravusu Suja Tamil 2004 Varnajalam Tamil Special appearance in song "Vadha Vadhane" Udees Kannada Special appearance 2005 Kasthuri Maan Sunitha Tamil Ulla Kadathal Samyuktha Tamil Masala Preethi Kannada Maayavi Tamil Special appearance Kadhal Seiya Virumbu Tamil Special appearance Yashwanth Kannada Special appearance Jyestha Kannada Special appearance Gunna Kannada Special appearance Ben Johnson Malayalam Special appearance Ponmudipuzhayorathu Malayalam Special appearance Sakha Sakhi Kannada Special appearance in "Bandalapo Bandalo" song 2006 Naalai Sudha Tamil Vathiyar Tamil Special appearance in "Yennadi Muniyamma" song Chacko Randaaman Malayalam Special appearance Suntaragaali Kannada Special appearance 2007 Mudhal Kanave Tamil Special appearance Thirutham Priya Tamil Adavadi Tamil Achacho Tamil Special appearance Lee Tamil Special appearance Madurai Veeran Tamil Special appearance Pallikoodam Tamil Special appearance in song "Roseberry" Rasigar Mandram Tamil Special appearance Black Cat Malayalam Special appearance Ammuvagiya Naan Tamil Special appearance 2008 Pazhani Tamil Special appearance in song "Lo Lo Local" Mulla Malayalam Special appearance Indiralohathil Na Azhagappan Urvashi Tamil Vaitheeswaran Sharmila Tamil Unnai Naan Tamil Uliyin Osai Tamil Thangam Tamil Special appearance Valluvan Vasuki Tamil Special appearance Vasool Tamil Special appearance Sandai Tamil Special appearance Thozha Tamil Special appearance Muniyandi Vilangial Moonramandu Tamil Special appearance Kuselan Tamil Special appearance in "Perinba Pechchukaran" song Jayamkondaan Tamil Special appearance in "Orey Or Naal" song Thenavattu Tamil Special appearance Thiruvannamalai Tamil Special appearance in "Amma Maare" song 2009 Ainthaam Padai Tamil Special appearance in "Orampo" song Black Dalia Jessica Malayalam Engal Aasan Usha Tamil Solla Solla Inikkum Megha Tamil 2010 Aptharakshaka Hema Kannada Milaga Sowmya Tamil Moscowin Kavery Tamil Special appearance in "Gramam Thedi Vaada" song Nagavalli Hema Telugu 2011 Aayiram Vilakku Tamil 2013 Gundello Godari Bangari Telugu Settai Actress in caravan Tamil Doosukeltha Kedareswari Telugu 2014 Ali Baba Okkade Donga Chetana Telugu Appuchi Gramam Tamil 2015 Killadi Tamil Special appearance 2016 Pencil Nandini Tamil Kidaari Loganayaki Tamil Sadhuram 2 Divya Tamil 2017 Kuttram 23 John Matthew's wife Tamil Vaigai Express Madhavi Tamil Achayans Panchami Malayalam Munnodi Tamil 2018 Iravukku Aayiram Kangal Maya Tamil Aan Devathai Belita Tamil 2019 Sathru Kasthuri Tamil 2021 Drushyam 2 Saritha Telugu

Television