Soori (actor)
{{Short description|Indian actor and comedian (born 1977)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Soori
| image = Soori at Marudhu Press Meet.jpg
| caption = Soori in 2015
| birth_name = Ramalakshmanan Muthuchamy
| other_names = Parotta Soori
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1977|08|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
| occupation = {{Hlist|Actor|Comedian}}
| years active = 1998–present
| spouse = Mahalakshmi (m.2009)
| children = 2
}}
Ramalakshmanan Muthuchamy (born 27 August 1977),{{Cite web |date=2022-08-09 |title=Actor Soori: I Am Not Against Temples |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/actor-soori-i-am-not-against-temples-news-215147 |access-date=2024-06-04 |website=Outlook India |language=en |archive-date=22 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240422092245/https://www.outlookindia.com/art-entertainment/actor-soori-i-am-not-against-temples-news-215147/ |url-status=live }} professionally known as Soori, is an Indian actor and comedian who predominantly appears in Tamil cinema. Debuting in 1998, he acted in several uncredited roles before his major breakthrough in Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009), where he earned the moniker Parotta Soori. After a decade as a comedian, his dramatic turn as a lead actor in Vetrimaaran's Viduthalai Part 1 (2023) received critical acclaim.
Career
Soori moved from Madurai to Chennai in 1996 with the intention of becoming an actor in the Tamil film industry. After failing to get any roles, he took up work in the city as a cleaner to fund his acting ambitions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/from-madurai-to-chennai-and-13-years-later-sooris-fascinating-journey/article29542288.ece|title=From Madurai to Chennai, and 13 years later: Soori's fascinating journey|first=Pradeep|last=Kumar|newspaper=The Hindu|date=28 September 2019|via=www.thehindu.com|access-date=3 October 2019|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011141305/https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/from-madurai-to-chennai-and-13-years-later-sooris-fascinating-journey/article29542288.ece|url-status=live}}
He played occasional uncredited roles in films as a junior artiste, appearing especially in comedy scenes, such as in Winner (2003). and thereafter Ezhil's Deepavali.
Soori notably appeared in the critical and commercial hit film Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009). The suffix "parotta" was soon attached to his name because of the film's famous 'parotta competition' scene, in which Soori's character stuns a hotelier by eating 50 parottas and getting ready to eat the same number once again.{{cite web| url = https://www.indiaglitz.com/soori-reveals-he-ate-17-parottas-for-the-comedy-scene-in-vennila-kabadi-kuzhu-tamil-news-160282| title = Soori reveals an important secret about the Parotta comedy - Tamil News - IndiaGlitz.com| date = 3 June 2016| access-date = 2 May 2021| archive-date = 2 May 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210502155559/https://www.indiaglitz.com/soori-reveals-he-ate-17-parottas-for-the-comedy-scene-in-vennila-kabadi-kuzhu-tamil-news-160282| url-status = live}}
He later appeared in a number of films in well-received comedic and sidekick roles, such as Poraali (2011), Sundarapandian (2012), Varuthapadatha Valibar Sangam (2013), and Jilla (2014).{{Cite web|url = https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140116/entertainment-tollywood/article/actor-soori-great-demand|title = Actor Soori in great demand|date = 16 January 2014|access-date = 4 August 2019|archive-date = 4 August 2019|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190804162423/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140116/entertainment-tollywood/article/actor-soori-great-demand|url-status = live}} His supporting roles were also praised in Rajini Murugan (2016) Idhu Namma Aalu (2016), Velainu Vandhutta Vellaikaaran (2016), and Sangili Bungili Kadhava Thorae (2017).
In 2018, he was seen in both Sivakarthikeyan's Seema Raja and Vikram's Saamy Square. However, his comedic performances in these two films were heavily criticised, prompting Soori himself to respond.{{Cite web|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/soori-slams-online-reviewers-critics-1350812-2018-09-27|title=Soori blasts critics for slamming his comedy in Seema Raja and Saamy Square|access-date=2 May 2021|archive-date=2 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502155556/https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/regional-cinema/story/soori-slams-online-reviewers-critics-1350812-2018-09-27|url-status=live}} He went on to have back-to-back releases with the successful Namma Veettu Pillai (2019) and the panned Sangathamizhan (2019).{{cite web| url = https://www.cinemaexpress.com/videos/interviews/2019/sep/22/soori-i-know-if-its-a-bad-comedy-even-while-acting-sivakarthikeyan-vijay-sethupathi-namma-veettu-14444.html| title = Soori: I know if it's a bad comedy even while acting; Sivakarthikeyan Vijay Sethupathi Namma Veettu- Cinema express| website = Cinema Express| access-date = 2 May 2021| archive-date = 2 May 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210502155559/https://www.cinemaexpress.com/videos/interviews/2019/sep/22/soori-i-know-if-its-a-bad-comedy-even-while-acting-sivakarthikeyan-vijay-sethupathi-namma-veettu-14444.html| url-status = live}}
In 2023, Soori was cast against type as the main protagonist of Vetrimaaran's period crime thriller, Viduthalai Part 1. His performance garnered highly positive appreciation from critics as well as audiences.{{cite web |last=Kuniyl |first=Sarath Ramesh |date=31 March 2023 |title=Viduthalai - Part 1 review: Soori steals the show in this Vetrimaaran flick |url=https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2023/03/31/viduthalai-part-1-review-soori-steals-the-show-in-this-vetrimaaran-flick.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230606233013/https://www.theweek.in/review/movies/2023/03/31/viduthalai-part-1-review-soori-steals-the-show-in-this-vetrimaaran-flick.html |archive-date=6 June 2023 |access-date=29 November 2023 |website=The Week}} This was followed by leading roles in Garudan (2024), a neo-noir action film, and Kottukkaali (2024), a drama-comedy about caste, as well as Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai (2024), a period-bending romantic drama. All three films widely received critical acclaim for their direction and performances, with Kottukkali and Yezhu Kadal Yezhu Malai being screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and the 53rd International Film Festival Rotterdam respectively.
Personal life
After watching Thalapathi (1991), Muthuchamy adopted the protagonist's name, Surya, which was shortened to 'Soori' after he entered cinema.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii3KPJR8XNU&list=TLPQMDMwNjIwMjSPk3AmnwiihA&index=3 |title=" 🙏 தயவுசெய்து என் கதைய திருடி படமா எடுக்காதீங்க " - The SS Podcast ft. Soori Muthuchamy |date=2024-05-31 |language=Ta |publisher=SS Music |time=1:31:00 to 1:31:45 |time-caption=From |access-date=2024-06-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603122241/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii3KPJR8XNU&list=TLPQMDMwNjIwMjSPk3AmnwiihA&index=3 |archive-date=3 June 2024 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}
Soori lives in a joint family and has six siblings. He is married and has a son and a daughter.{{Cite web |date=2020-05-21 |title=Soori's cute photos with his kids wins hearts! |url=https://www.indiaglitz.com/soori-and-kids-cute-photos-trending-social-media--news-260906 |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=IndiaGlitz.com |archive-date=24 July 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240724012034/https://www.indiaglitz.com/soori-and-kids-cute-photos-trending-social-media--news-260906 |url-status=live }}
Filmography
=Films=
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ ! scope="col"| Year ! scope="col"| Title ! scope="col"| Role ! scope="col"| Channel |
| 2007-2008
|Amirtham | Sun TV |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|4262344}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soori}}
Category:Male actors from Madurai
Category:Male actors in Tamil cinema