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Actors

Suriya (Actor) Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth23 July 1975

Age49 Years

BirthplaceChennai, Tamil Nadu, India

ProfessionActor, Producer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseJyothika

FamilyFather - Sivakumar; Mother - Lakshmi Sivakumar; Brother - Karthik Sivakumar (Karthi); Sister - Brindha Sivakumar

Net worth$25 million

Suriya (Actor) Biography

Suriya, born Saravanan Sivakumar on 23 July 1975, is an Indian actor and producer known for his work in Tamil cinema. A member of a film family, he rose to

Early life and background

Saravanan Sivakumar, known professionally as Suriya, was born on 23 July 1975 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Raised in a family with strong ties to the film industry, his father is actor Sivakumar and his younger brother is actor Karthi. Suriya spent parts of his schooling in Chennai and Coimbatore, attending St. Bede's Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Chennai and The PSBB Millennium School in Coimbatore. He later completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree at Loyola College, Chennai.

Suriya began his working life outside films, spending several years as a merchandising manager in a garment factory. He has said that his early earnings were modest; his first salary was 1,000 INR, from which he bought a saree for his mother. The stage name Suriya was given to him by director Mani Ratnam to avoid confusion with his birth name.

Career

Suriya made his film debut in 1997 with Nerrukku Ner. He established himself as a leading actor in Tamil cinema over subsequent years, with the role of Nandha marking a turning point that brought him wider recognition and a Best Actor Film Award. He expanded his involvement in cinema beyond acting to include producing.

A significant milestone in Suriya's career came with the film Soorarai Pottru, for which he received the National Film Award for Best Actor in July 2022, an honour he shared that year with Ajay Devgn. Suriya has also starred in commercially successful films that have inspired remakes in other languages; for example, the 2010 Tamil hit Singam was remade in Hindi as Singham.

Suriya and his wife Jyothika co-founded the Agaram Foundation, an initiative focused on supporting children who have dropped out of school and helping them rejoin formal education. Beyond his on-screen work, he has expressed interest in learning the craft of filmmaking in greater depth, including directing, recording, and editing.

Public profile

Suriya is married to actress Jyothika; the couple wed on 11 September 2006 and have two children, a daughter named Diya and a son named Dev. He is known to enjoy long drives and camping. His listed physical details include a height of about 170 cm (5'7") and a weight around 72 kg.

Throughout his public life Suriya has been associated with a few legal matters that received media attention, including a complaint filed in 2016 related to an alleged street incident and a 2017 non-bailable arrest warrant connected to a defamation case in which several actors were named for not appearing before the court.

Latest updates

As of 2024, Suriya is 49 years old. Recent recognition for his work includes the National Film Award for Best Actor in 2022 for Soorarai Pottru. He continues to be active in film and in philanthropic efforts through the Agaram Foundation. Suriya has also signed up for organ donation and has stated ambitions to direct in future projects.
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Recent Work

Soorarai Pottru

Performance that earned the National Film Award for Best Actor (shared in 2022).

2022
Singam (2010)

Tamil action film that later inspired the Hindi remake Singham.

2010
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Career Highlights

  1. Film debut with Nerrukku Ner (1997).
  2. Breakthrough performance in Nandha, which won him a Best Actor Film Award.
  3. National Film Award for Best Actor (shared) for Soorarai Pottru in 2022.
  4. Co-founder of Agaram Foundation supporting school dropouts.
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Net Worth

$25 million

Figures are editorial estimates based on publicly available reporting and may change as new information emerges.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Suriya (Actor) born?

23 July 1975

What is Suriya (Actor) known for?

Actor, Producer

What is Suriya (Actor)’s marital status?

Married

Who is Suriya (Actor) married to?

Jyothika

What is Suriya (Actor)’s net worth?

$25 million