S. J. Suryaah
Encyclopedia
S. Justin Selvaraj is an India
n film director
, writer
, actor
, and producer
in Kollywood
, the Tamil
film industry. His screen name is S. J. Surya.
, he took a B.Sc. degree in physics at the Loyola College, Chennai. But that one lingering passion—cinema, the movies, the magic on celluloid when the lights go out—persisted. Justin wanted to be a part of this magical world. A stint of about six years as apprentice under various directors like Vasanth, and he was ready for his first film.
Surya's first film was Vaali (1999), with Ajith and Simran
playing the lead in Tamil
; it was a huge blockbuster and remains his biggest hit to date. The film told the story of a deaf and mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife. He told the story of vaali at the shooting of aasai, ajith was impressed with the story. After facing problems he finished the film and it was a great success and mass hit movie.
Surya followed that with the multi-lingual Kushi
, which was a huge money-spinner in Tamil and Telugu but did not fare too well in Hindi. After a hiatus for nearly two years, he came up with another blockbuster, New
in which Surya played the lead role as well as directing and producing the film. The film's opening is considered to be one of the biggest in Tamil cinema in recent years, with over 1.1 crore collected on its first day at the box office. The film's music by his friend and noted composer A. R. Rahman
had created waves in the audio market. However, the movie was banned by the Madras High Court in August 2005, a year after it collected huge revenues in theaters.
His fourth venture in Tamil as a director was Anbe Aaruyire
, which was initially titled Best Friend. This movie was not as big a hit as Vaali, Khushi and New had been. He planned two Tamil movies,one titled Anbulla Caroline with A. R. Rahman, Santosh Sivan, Silambharasan and Asin as the crew and another titled "Puli" with Vijay, A.R.Rahman under Swargachithra Appachan Production ; however, the both projects were dropped after some problems. He said he would return to the project soon, after sorting out schedules and cast.
S. J. Surya's biggest budget project in his career to date is Puli
, with Pawan Kalyan
in the lead; it was released on September 10, 2010 in more than 1200 theaters with 600 prints. The film was made on a budget of 42 crores. Academy Award-winner A. R. Rahman
created the music for the movie. The soundtrack received positive reviews and became a hot seller. However, the film received very bad reviews from various critics.
About Ajith and Vijay, "They are contrasting characters. Ajit on the surface seems very tense, making a lot of noise. But when you get close to him, you realise it is just a put-on. Unlike his appearance, he is soft and vulnerable. Vijay, on the other hand, appears calm and placid. But there is a lot of fire in him. As you explain a scene to him, he may look a little inattentive. But when he stands before the camera he will surprise you.
, where the participants are television stars. He was one of the three judges along with Sangeetha
and Sundaram
.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, writer
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
, and producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
in Kollywood
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
, the Tamil
Tamil language
Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...
film industry. His screen name is S. J. Surya.
Film career
After his schooling in the little village of his birth, Vasudevanallur near TenkasiTenkasi
Tenkasi pronounced as is a town and a municipality in Tirunelveli district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located in the foothills of the Western Ghats near the Courtallam Waterfalls.Tenkasi is also famous for saaral...
, he took a B.Sc. degree in physics at the Loyola College, Chennai. But that one lingering passion—cinema, the movies, the magic on celluloid when the lights go out—persisted. Justin wanted to be a part of this magical world. A stint of about six years as apprentice under various directors like Vasanth, and he was ready for his first film.
Surya's first film was Vaali (1999), with Ajith and Simran
Simran
Simran is a Punjabi word derived from the Sanskrit word स्मरण , thus 'realization of that which is of the highest aspect and purpose in one's life', thus introducing spirituality...
playing the lead in Tamil
Kollywood
Kollywood is a word referring two different movie industries in India and Nepal, derived from the word Hollywood and their local movie centers.* Tamil cinema, the Tamil language film industry based on Kodambakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu,...
; it was a huge blockbuster and remains his biggest hit to date. The film told the story of a deaf and mute brother setting his eyes on his younger brother's wife. He told the story of vaali at the shooting of aasai, ajith was impressed with the story. After facing problems he finished the film and it was a great success and mass hit movie.
Surya followed that with the multi-lingual Kushi
Kushi
are skewers used in Japanese cuisine to hold and pierce food for grilling and frying, such as yakitori. They range in length from about 15 to 30 cm. Kushi may be made of steel, bamboo, or wood. The steel and wooden varieties are reusable, while those made from bamboo are usually only used...
, which was a huge money-spinner in Tamil and Telugu but did not fare too well in Hindi. After a hiatus for nearly two years, he came up with another blockbuster, New
New (film)
The soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman and with lyrics by Vaali, was critically well received. In an interview in 2001, Surya earlier stated that Deva had composed ten songs for the film, but he was later replaced by Rahman. Rahman remixed the 1964 hit Tamil song "Thottal Poo Malarum" from the...
in which Surya played the lead role as well as directing and producing the film. The film's opening is considered to be one of the biggest in Tamil cinema in recent years, with over 1.1 crore collected on its first day at the box office. The film's music by his friend and noted composer A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
had created waves in the audio market. However, the movie was banned by the Madras High Court in August 2005, a year after it collected huge revenues in theaters.
His fourth venture in Tamil as a director was Anbe Aaruyire
Anbe Aaruyire
Anbe Aaruyire is a Tamil film directed by S.J. Suryah. The film stars himself, Nila, Urvasi, Santhana Bharathy and Santhanam. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by A. R. Rahman...
, which was initially titled Best Friend. This movie was not as big a hit as Vaali, Khushi and New had been. He planned two Tamil movies,one titled Anbulla Caroline with A. R. Rahman, Santosh Sivan, Silambharasan and Asin as the crew and another titled "Puli" with Vijay, A.R.Rahman under Swargachithra Appachan Production ; however, the both projects were dropped after some problems. He said he would return to the project soon, after sorting out schedules and cast.
S. J. Surya's biggest budget project in his career to date is Puli
Puli (film)
Puli is a 2010 Telugu action film written and directed by S. J. Suryaah, starring Pawan Kalyan in the lead role, with Nikeesha Patel, Manoj Bajpai, Charan Raj, Nassar, Jyothi Krishna, Bhrahmaji, Ali and Girish Karnad in supporting roles and Shriya Saran appearing in an item number. The film...
, with Pawan Kalyan
Pawan Kalyan
Pawan Kalyan ; is an Indian film Actor, Director, Screenwriter and Action choreographer in Telugu cinema...
in the lead; it was released on September 10, 2010 in more than 1200 theaters with 600 prints. The film was made on a budget of 42 crores. Academy Award-winner A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
created the music for the movie. The soundtrack received positive reviews and became a hot seller. However, the film received very bad reviews from various critics.
About Ajith and Vijay, "They are contrasting characters. Ajit on the surface seems very tense, making a lot of noise. But when you get close to him, you realise it is just a put-on. Unlike his appearance, he is soft and vulnerable. Vijay, on the other hand, appears calm and placid. But there is a lot of fire in him. As you explain a scene to him, he may look a little inattentive. But when he stands before the camera he will surprise you.
Television
He was one of the judges on Vijay TV's hit show Jodi Number OneJodi Number One
Jodi Number One is an annual series reality dance show on the Indian STAR Vijay channel. Its contestants are couples who are generally TV stars in their own right, often from the television industry.- Concept :...
, where the participants are television stars. He was one of the three judges along with Sangeetha
Sangeetha
Sangeetha Arvind-Krish is an Indian film actress. Making her acting debut in the mid-90s, she is probably best known for her performances in the films Khadgam, Pithamagan, Uyir and Dhanam.-Early life:...
and Sundaram
Sundaram
Mugur Sundar is a popular dance choreographer in South Indian cinema. He has directed more than 10,000 dance sequences for various south-Indian films. Sundar was born in Mugur, a village located in Mysore district, Karnataka. He has three sons, Prabhu Deva, Raju Sundaram and Nagendra Prasad, who...
.
As an actor
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 1988 in film -Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:* Act of Piracy* Action Jackson, starring Carl Weathers, Craig T. Nelson, Vanity, Sharon Stone* The Adventures of Baron Munchausen* Akira* Alice... |
Nethiadi | Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Guest apparence | |
| 2000 2000 in film The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor .... |
Kushi Kushi are skewers used in Japanese cuisine to hold and pierce food for grilling and frying, such as yakitori. They range in length from about 15 to 30 cm. Kushi may be made of steel, bamboo, or wood. The steel and wooden varieties are reusable, while those made from bamboo are usually only used... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Guest apparence | |
| 2004 2004 in film The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol... |
New New (film) The soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman and with lyrics by Vaali, was critically well received. In an interview in 2001, Surya earlier stated that Deva had composed ten songs for the film, but he was later replaced by Rahman. Rahman remixed the 1964 hit Tamil song "Thottal Poo Malarum" from the... |
Vichu/Pappu | Tamil | |
| Naani | Math Professor | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
Cameo appearance | |
| 2005 2005 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2005... |
Anbe Aaruyire | Shiva | Tamil | |
| Mahanadigan | Himself | Tamil | Cameo appearance | |
| 2006 2006 in film - Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006... |
Kalvanin Kadhali Kalvanin Kadhali Kalvanin Kaadhali is a 2006 Indian Tamil film written and directed by newcomer Thamilvaanan, who had worked as assistant to director Ezhil. The film stars S. J. Suryaah and Nayanthara in lead roles with Pyramid Natarajan, Vivek and Ganja Karuppu essaying supporting roles. It is notably, Suryah's... |
Sathya | Tamil | |
| Dishyum Dishyum Dishyum is a Tamil film directed by Sasi. The film stars Jeeva, Sandhya, Undapakru, Venkat Prabhu, Nassar and Anee Malavika. The film's score and soundtrack are composed by Vijay Antony of Sukran fame... |
Himself | Tamil | Cameo appearance | |
| 2007 2007 in film This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007... |
Vyabari | Suryaprakash | Tamil | |
| Thirumagan Thirumagan Thirumagan is a Tamil film directed by Ratnakumar. The film stars S.J. Suryah, Meera Jasmine, Malavika, Karthika and Prreethi Varma in the lead roles. The film was shot completely in Tirunelveli. The film is a village story based on the relationships between a father and son.-Cast:-External links:**... |
Tamil | |||
| 2009 2009 in film The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note... |
Newtonin Moondram Vidhi | Guru | Tamil | |
| 2010 2010 in film The year 2010 saw many new films released worldwide. 2010 saw a dramatic increase and prominence in the use of 3D-technology in filmmaking and film releases after the success of Avatar in the format, with releases such as Alice in Wonderland, Clash of the Titans, Jackass 3D, all animated films and... |
Puli Puli (film) Puli is a 2010 Telugu action film written and directed by S. J. Suryaah, starring Pawan Kalyan in the lead role, with Nikeesha Patel, Manoj Bajpai, Charan Raj, Nassar, Jyothi Krishna, Bhrahmaji, Ali and Girish Karnad in supporting roles and Shriya Saran appearing in an item number. The film... |
Hussain | Telugu | Cameo appearance |
| 2011 2011 in film The year 2011 is notable for containing the release of the most film sequels in a single year, at 27 sequels. The following tables list films that are in production or have completed production and will be released in the United States and Canada at some point in 2011.- Highest-grossing films :... |
Nanban Nanban (film) Nanban is an upcoming Tamil comedy drama film directed by S. Shankar. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Vijay, Jeeva, Srikanth, Sathyaraj and Ileana D'Cruz. The soundtrack and background score is by Harris Jayaraj, working with Shankar for the second time after Anniyan . Filming... |
Tamil | Cameo appearance |
As a director
| Year | Film | Language | Other technical roles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Vaali Vaali Vaali is a 1999 Tamil thriller film written and directed by S. J. Suryah. The film stars Ajith Kumar in a dual role with Simran appearing in another leading role. The supporting cast of the film include Jyothika in her debut venture, Livingston and Vivek. The film's music is composed by the music... |
Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore... |
Director |
| 2000 | Khushi | Tamil | Director |
| 2001 | Kushi | Telugu Telugu language Telugu is a Central Dravidian language primarily spoken in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, where it is an official language. It is also spoken in the neighbouring states of Chattisgarh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa and Tamil Nadu... |
Director |
| 2003 | Khushi Khushi (2003 film) Khushī is an Indian Bollywood film released on 7 February 2003, starring Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor in main roles, directed by S. J. Suryah and produced by Boney Kapoor under Narsimha Enterprises. The movie was a failure at the box office... |
Hindi Hindi Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi... |
Writer |
| 2004 | New New (film) The soundtrack composed by A. R. Rahman and with lyrics by Vaali, was critically well received. In an interview in 2001, Surya earlier stated that Deva had composed ten songs for the film, but he was later replaced by Rahman. Rahman remixed the 1964 hit Tamil song "Thottal Poo Malarum" from the... |
Tamil | Director, producer |
| Naani | Telugu | Director | |
| 2005 | Anbe Aaruyire | Tamil | Director, producer |
| 2010 | Puli Puli (film) Puli is a 2010 Telugu action film written and directed by S. J. Suryaah, starring Pawan Kalyan in the lead role, with Nikeesha Patel, Manoj Bajpai, Charan Raj, Nassar, Jyothi Krishna, Bhrahmaji, Ali and Girish Karnad in supporting roles and Shriya Saran appearing in an item number. The film... |
Telugu | Director |