Suruli Rajan

Suruli Rajan (January 14, 1938 - December 5, 1980) was as an Indian actor and comedian who worked primarily in Tamil cinema. Posthumously, he was awarded with the Best Comedian Award by the state Government of Tamil Nadu in 1981.

Early and personal life

Rajan was born in 1938 in Periyakulam, situated near Theni in Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Ponnaiya Pillai, worked as an accountant for local farm owners in the surrounding areas of Theni. Rajan was named after the Surulivelar Swamy, the family deity at a temple on top of a hill overlooking Suruli Falls.

Rajan lost both of his parents when he was young, forcing him to discontinue his schooling. He moved to his brother's house in Madurai and worked as an apprentice mechanic in a neighbourhood workshop. Seeking fame in acting, he starred in several amateur stage plays in Madurai before moving to Madras in 1959 with the intention of being part of bigger productions.

After a period of scarce opportunities, he worked with various drama troupes, including those of O. A. K. Thevar, Pisir Ramarao, T.N. Balu and in Karunanidhi's 'Kagithapoo' staged in aid of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party's election fund. It was filmmaker Joseph Thaliath Jr. of The Citadel Film Corporation Pvt. Ltd who brought Suruli Rajan to cinema, first in a brief appearance in Iravum Pagalum in 1965 and soon after in a more noticeable comic role in Kathal Paduthum Padu the year following.

His association with T.N. Balu led to notable roles in successful films directed by T.R. Ramanna, such as Naan and Moondrezhuthu. Despite his youth, Suruli Rajan often portrayed older characters in his early movies. Other roles he played during this period include a brief but memorable appearance as a Madras Tamil-speaking character in APN's "Thirumalai Thenkumari" (1970) and the role of a devout fisherman in Aathi Parasakthi (1971). Surulirajan gained popularity in the late '70s due to his distinctive intonation and comedic flair for the absurd.

While occasionally leaning towards suggestive humor, he consistently succeeded in evoking laughter. Suruli's noteworthy portrayal of a miserly rural character in M.A. Khaja's Manthoppu Kiliye (1979) received rare acclaim, securing a distinguished position among the timeless comedic sequences in Tamil cinema. His comedic antics became a ubiquitous presence in many films of that era, earning him a record for appearing in no less than 50 movies in a single year in 1980.

His career was cut short due to his untimely death in 1980 while he was at the peak of his career.

Filmography