Suruli Rajan (January 14, 1938 - December 5, 1980) was an Indian actor, comedian, and character artist. An actor of Tamil cinema, he was a recipient of Best Comedian Award from the state government of Tamil Nadu (even though he received it after his death) for the year 1981.
Biography
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 his parents one after the other, 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 in search of better opportunities.
In spite of his passion, acting opportunities were few and far between. However, a sudden spate of opportunities in stage plays filled him with heartening optimism. 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 friendship with T.N. Balu earned him memorable roles in blockbusters by T.R.Ramanna like Naan and Moondrezhuthu. Despite his young age Suruli Rajan was offered older roles in many of his early movies. Two other significant roles in his early years were the Madras Tamil spewing cameo in APN's Thirumalai Thenkumari (1970) and that of the devout fisherman in Aathi Parasakthi (1971). With his unique intonation and a flair for the absurd, Surulirajan rose to popularity in the late 70s.
Though at times bordering on the bawdy, he seldom failed to elicit a laugh. Suruli's brilliant portrayal of a niggardly rustic in M.A.Khaja's Maanthoppu Kiliye (1979) fetched him rare plaudits and has earned a place of pride in the annals of the immortal comedy sequences of Tamil cinema. 'It never rains, but pours' they say, and Suruli's capers had become a mandatory inclusion in most movies of the time. He created a record by acting in not 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 in the peak of his career.