Suriya Compares Himself To Brother Karthi, Says 'People Call Me An Overacting Actor, I Can’t Be Meiyazhagan'

Suriya starrer Retro hit in the theatres on May 1. Even after a clash of titans with HIT 3 and Raid 2, Karthik Subbaraj's action-comedy got praise from both critics and audiences, with many calling it the actor's "greatest comeback." Recently, Suriya and Karthik joined music composer Santosh Narayanan for a ‘rectangle table discussion’ as a promotional setup. During their conversation, Suriya opened up about people calling him an ‘overactor’ and believes he cannot match the performances of his brother, Karthi.

Suriya reacts to trolling, saying ‘can’t be like brother Karthi'

During their conversation, Karthik and Santosh explored how Suriya's career shifted dramatically with his roles in films like Kaakha Kaakha, Ghajini, and Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, which he took on almost consecutively. Suriya says that he was fortunate to have directors who believed in his ability to lead these projects. When Karthik pointed out Suriya’s meticulous approach to every scene, no matter how minor, Suriya opened up and credited director Bala for influencing his work ethic.

Suriya shared his philosophy of giving his “best,” despite not considering himself a “great actor.” He said, “I am not a great actor, Karthik. Some people call me an overacting actor…so many people will have that opinion. But, I stick to what I learnt from Bala sir. I’m trying my best, not every time it happens. I try my genuine best. Now, take a film like Meiyazhagan. I can’t be Karthi, I can’t be Meiyazhagan.”

For context, Suriya collaborated with director Bala in the 2001 film Nandhaa. Suriya and his wife, Jyotika, also produced the 2024 film Meiyazhagan, featuring Karthi and Arvind Swami. The movie became a successful hit, particularly for its performances.

Also Read: HIT 3 vs Retro Box Office Collection Day 5: Nani's Actioner Beats Suriya Starrer To Win Monday Race (Early Estimates)

Retro box office collection

Retro might be able to reach the ₹50 crore today mark as the total so far is ₹44.26 crore. Retro had an overall 15.77 per cent Tamil occupancy on Monday, with the maximum reported in Chennai (24 per cent).