When Suriya turned to the words of Salman Khan and Karthi to understand success: ‘You should learn to float'

Indian Express

22-04-2025

Actor-filmmaker Suriya, who has seen his share of dizzying highs and lows in his almost three-decade-old career, is gearing up for the release of one of his most-anticipated films, Retro. One of the most celebrated stars from Tamil cinema, Suriya is currently facing an almost must-win situation with Retro, especially because of the response to his previous film, Kanguva. Even as his fans hope for a reversal of fortunes, the actor, however, has always remained unfazed.
In an old interview to iDream, Suriya spoke about how his brother and actor Karthi told him something about success that has stayed with him for a long time. 'See, both Karthi and me have seen our share of highs and lows. One fine day, Karthi said something, which he read somewhere or heard from someone. He said, 'You should learn to float.' And I think that struck a chord in me,' said Suriya, who reiterated the importance of just floating and relishing the moment instead of trying to control proceedings.
Suriya opened up about how the success of his films isn't a straightforward journey with a proper map in place. 'We can enjoy and shoot a film that we feel is fantastic. But what if the release plans are affected by an election date, or a limited release window, or even a natural calamity. You see, success or fame is a blessing for the work you put in. All you can do is just continue giving it your all. You cannot hold success in your hands either. It is transient,' said Suriya, pointing out that the hard work motivates him more than the idea of mainstream success.
'Hard work might not always result in the same degree of success. Just set your own priorities, and follow your own values. There is no point comparing your journey with another actor, and comparing each other's successes. Each of us are running in our own tracks, and we have our own strengths, circumstances, challenges, and situations. So why compare?' asked Suriya, who named Salman Khan as another actor whose words left a lasting impression on him.
Talking about the speech Salman gave at the Robot event, Suriya said, 'There was a wonderful line that Salman sir said at the event. He said success can happen to anyone, but it is important to have a personal growth along with the success. He pointed out that success can make us stagnant and complacent. Along with your success, you also have to grow on a personal level, and hone your skill and talent.'
Opening up on how this made him realise the need to not just run behind the materialistic and monetary perks that come with his career, Suriya said, 'Let me narrate another incident that happened when my daughter was performing in a concert at AR Rahman sir's KM Music Conservatory. An Ustad who sat next to me said that Rahman sir learns Hindustani music even now. And I realised how much someone like me has to do to just to become something.'
On the movie front, Retro, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, marks the first release of Suriya this year, and will hit the screens on May 1. Apart from Suriya, the film stars Pooja Hegde, Jayaram, Joju George, and Singampuli. Apart from this project, he will also be seen in RJ Balaji's upcoming directorial, which is tentatively titled Suriya 45.