Today marks the two-year anniversary of the release of Suriya’s critically acclaimed and popular film Soorarai Pottru. Suriya made the courageous choice to distribute the movie on the OTT platform two years ago when the pandemic was still widespread in the country. The rest is history. The movie went on to shatter all previous records and turn into Indian cinema’s biggest blockbuster success.
In the midst of the pandemic, this movie was a breath of fresh air that gave everyone new life and passion. The audience was won over by Soorarai Pottru for a variety of reasons, including a young man’s dreams, Maara and Bommi’s mature love, and dreams of starting a low-cost airline and bakery. In some way, the movie connected to every audience somehow and left everyone to preach never to stop dreaming.
Suriya, who played Maara in the movie, underwent a significant physical makeover. He went on a rigorous diet of only eggs and cucumbers for several days in order to lose over 20 kg and appear younger. He had significantly reduced his weight to momentarily pass for an unruly army recruit.
According to reports, the idea for the movie was conceived over ten years ago, and filmmaker Sudha Kongara spent over ten years conducting thorough research for it. She first met Suriya at the audio premiere of Sudha Kongara’s Irudhi Suttru, which stars Ritika Singh and Madhavan. Suriya was one of the main guests at the event and provided the one-liner. Suriya liked the narrative and provided his approval of the movie.
The Hakimpet Air Force station was one of more than 60 locations where the movie was filmed, making it the first Tamil movie to be filmed there. After Shawshank and The Godfather, Soorarai Pottru became the third-highest-rated movie in the world.
The movie is based on a Gopinath Iyengar biographical (founder of Indian Airlines Air Deccan). Actually, a theist who believes in god, Gopinath Iyengar. However, the movie’s main character is portrayed as being an atheist. Iyengar stated in an interview conducted after the movie’s release that while the movie left an impression on him, the facts depicted therein are not at all accurate.
Soorarai Pottru, which was directed by Sudha Kongara and produced by Suriya and Guneet Monga, also starred Paresh Rawal, Aparna Balamurali, and Urvashi in the key parts, with Mohan Babu, Karunas, and others in supporting roles. The events in the life of Simplifly Deccan’s creator, G. R. Gopinath, served as the inspiration for the movie.
