Cinema, in many ways, is all about aspiration. An aspiration to be successful, famous, and, of course, wield immense clout over others who are a few steps behind you in the same race. That is why the dream merchants in cinema sell the tale of struggle, and the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. But the proliferation of the internet and social media has ensured struggle doesn’t have the same currency anymore. In a field where access is still everything, the avenues to gain access have changed. In such a scenario, actor-entrepreneurs have figured out a way to sustain their passion without being burdened by struggle. One such talent is Suraj Seetharaman, an actor with a filmography that includes Shankar-Kamal Haasan’s Indian 2. “Cinema has given us many inspiring stories about perseverance, but sometimes we mistake struggle itself for success. Struggling doesn’t automatically make someone deserving, just as having an easier path doesn’t make their achievements any less meaningful,” says Suraj, who is awaiting the release of the JioHotstar series, Love Always.
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You are an entrepreneur, actor, storyteller… Which identity feels most personal
They actually don't seem like different identities to me. They are different expressions of the same obsession I have: People. What makes them excited, frustrated, hopeful, angry, or afraid? As an entrepreneur, I look at people’s problems, frustrations, and ambitions, and try to build solutions around them. As an actor or storyteller, I explore those same emotions and try to bring them alive in a way that makes an audience feel something real.
Both these professions need you to have an incredible tolerance for uncertainty, right?
Once you develop this tolerance, it becomes less about balance and more about how you get your highs for that particular day.
In fact, running a start-up is slightly more predictable because building something is within your control. But, as an actor, the unpredictability is incredibly high. The “What next” question can truly kill your spirit if you don’t have a strategy to deal with it.
What is that strategy that keeps you going?
Focus on what’s within my control. It could be about working out, dancing, or learning something new like parkour. Other days it’s creating content or finding ways to become a better actor. I can’t control when the next opportunity comes, but I can control whether I’m more prepared when it does. But you need a sort of fanatical faith in the future, because that is what gives you strength in the present.
But this struggle is often romanticised in cinema…
What really matters is what you do with the challenges you face.
In my own journey, there have been setbacks in both business and acting. I value them because they forced me to learn, adapt and become more resilient. If those lessons had come without the hardship, I would have gladly taken that route.
Now, the new route to cinema is social media. It might have opened doors for aspiring actors, but has it also created unrealistic expectations about overnight success?
I’d be lying if I said social media doesn’t matter. I’ve definitely missed out on opportunities because I didn’t have enough followers, even when I felt I had the skills and the look for the role. For the longest time, I almost villainised social media. I felt it had made popularity more important than talent. But over time, I realised that complaining about it wasn’t going to change anything. This is simply part of how the industry works today. So, if you see me creating content today, it’s not because I suddenly fell in love with social media. It’s because I’ve accepted that it’s part of the job.
Similarly, is there any other belief that you have outgrown over the years?
When I started out, I thought success had a timeline. I remember thinking, “If I keep working hard, it’ll probably take a few years.” In fact, in 2020, I had a string of projects lined up and genuinely felt like I had arrived. And then COVID happened. Almost overnight, everything came to a standstill.
That experience changed the way I think about success. Today, I don’t believe it takes a fixed number of years. It takes however long it takes, and I’m genuinely at peace with that.
My job isn’t to decide the timeline. My job is to keep showing up and persevering for as long as it takes.
As someone who understands both commerce and creativity, do you think the film industry today is run more by passion or by business?
Filmmaking is one of the few industries where art and commerce have to coexist every single day. If you focus only on making great cinema without enough commercial discipline, projects overshoot on time and budget, investor confidence drops, and eventually fewer good stories get made. But if you lean too far in the other direction, you might end up with a film that’s perfect on paper, but lacks soul on screen.
The best cinema happens when creativity and commerce respect each other.
Today, filmmakers have access to better data and a deeper understanding of what resonates with audiences. The challenge is to use that information as a guide, not as a formula. Data can tell us what audiences have loved. It can’t tell us what they’ll fall in love with next. That’s where creativity still has to lead.
I hope the industry continues moving toward a place where creative instinct leads the process, and business enables it. Neither should dominate the other.
In this journey, who have been your inspirations?
I grew up watching Rajini sir and Kamal sir. From Rajini sir, I learnt that an ordinary person can aspire to achieve extraordinary things. To me, that’s a story of incredible hope. From Kamal sir, I admire the relentless pursuit of excellence - the constant desire to get better, be better, and do better.
Another big influence has been our Chief Minister, Vijay. From facing intense ridicule in his early years to steadily evolving as an actor, dancer and performer, I admire his unwavering self-belief and grit. He never let other people’s opinions define his journey.
I also have to mention Shah Rukh Khan. He built the idea of “King Khan” long before the world fully embraced it. He had the conviction to believe in that vision before anyone else did. From him, I’ve learnt that sometimes you have to be your own biggest fan, your own cheerleader and keep believing, especially when the results haven’t caught up with the effort yet.
Looking at it now, I think I’ve taken a small lesson from each of them that I try to carry with me, whether I’m building a business or pursuing cinema.
I know it might not be what you want to hear… But what next?
I’m really looking forward to Love Always releasing on JioHotstar this October. It was a wonderful experience working on the series, and I’m excited for audiences to finally watch it. Apart from that, I’m working on something at the intersection of AI and filmmaking, which is a space that I find incredibly exciting.