Is Suriya’s Pan-India Attempt Too Late?

Tamil star Suriya became a formidable name in Tollywood after his dubbing film, Ghajini, did wonders in 2005. He established a market in the Telugu film industry with his later films like Singham 1 & 2 and Veedokkade. Even his flop Tamil films, like Aaru, 7th Sense, and 24, did better business in the Telugu markets.

But with his last few films, Suriya’s market in Telugu got deteriorated. His poor choice of films, like NGK, Gang, Mass, and Bandobast, made him lose his hold in the Telugu states.

According to the latest reports, Suriya is in talks with director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Rang De Basanti, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) for a period drama based on the character of Karn from Mahabharata. If everything falls in place, this is going to be his full-fledged entry into Bollywood.

Suriya is nearing his 50s and is almost past his prime. It would be better for him to consolidate his Tamil market and work on regaining his foothold in the Telugu states.

The Bollywood industry is cruel and not very receptive toward Tamil stars. When legends like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan couldn’t make any mark in Tollywood, then Suriya’s chances of making it big in Bollywood at this stage of his career are zilch. He might do better doing significant roles in pan-India projects than attempting a solo hero film in Bollywood.