Malayalam actor Jayasurya, who has been in the industry for over two decades, is celebrating his 45th birthday on 31 August.
Published Aug 31, 2023 | 3:58 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 31, 2023 | 3:58 PM
Jayasurya. (Jayasurya Jayan/ Instagram)
Malayalam actor Jayasurya has been in the industry for over two decades. He shined in comedy roles in the initial phase of his career and later turned to serious roles.
The actor is celebrating his 45th birthday on 31 August.
He has a good fan base in Kerala, but he is not a crowd-puller which is much-needed for a bankable actor.
But Jayasurya’s acting skills are appreciated by audiences and critics.
He started his career as a mimicry artist. He also did comedy shows on Surya TV.
Then, he appeared as the lead character in Vinayan’s Ooma Penninu Uriyada Payyan (2002), a turning point in his career.
The movie was about the story of a mute man and a hard-of-hearing woman. It was a hit. Before that, he acted in many films with uncredited roles.
The actor’s comedy roles in Swapnakoodu (2003), Pulival Kalyanam (2003), Chathikkatha Chanthu (2004), Chocolate (2007), and Gulumaal (2009) were lauded.
Jayasurya also appeared in negative roles in Classmates (2006), Arabikkatha (2007), and Kangaroo (2007).
Jayasurya hails from Tripunithura in Ernakulam. (Supplied)
After acting in Kangaroo, Jayasurya gave a second thought about his career. He did every role that came his way. But after Kangaroo, he decided only to do challenging roles.
This is evident from his next films like Cocktail (2010), Janapriyan (2011), Beautiful (2011), Trivandrum Lodge (2012), Apothecary (2014), Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014), Lukka Chuppi (2015), Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam (2015), and Captain (2018).
Cocktail, an official remake of the Canadian film The Butterfly On A Wheel (2007), portrayed Jayasurya in an intense role as a husband who finds out that his wife is in a relationship with her boss.
It was a different character for the actor who was until then popular for comedy films.
In Janapriyan, Jayasurya donned the role of an innocent youth from a rural background.
He mesmerised audiences as a handicapped person in VK Prakash’s Beautiful in 2011, as Angoor Rawther in Iyobinte Pusthakam (2014), and as Sudhi in Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam.
The 2018 movie Captain, based on the real-life of footballer VP Sathyan, saw Jayasurya playing the titular role. He received huge applause for his spellbinding performance.
He acted in over 100 films. His commitment to the craft has been shared by many Malayalam directors.
For example, Captain director Prajesh Sen once revealed the efforts put in by Jayasurya to don the character of VP Sathyam.
The Malayalam actor’s transformation from comedy to serious roles has had a positive impact on his career.
Jayasurya proved his mettle with films like Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam where he appeared as a speech-impaired person striving to find his place in the world.
‘Kathanar’ is Jayasurya’s next most anticipated movie. (Supplied)
Even after doing notable films, he kept acting in comedy films. His collaboration with Midhun Manuel Thomas resulted in Aadu (2015) and Aadu 2 (2017).
Though Aadu wasn’t a success, the crew made a second part of the movie which became a tremendous hit. The first part wasn’t recognised during its theatrical release, but the movie got a cult status for its comedy situations similar to that of caricatures.
Jayasurya’s collaboration with director Ranjith Sankar is another important chapter in his career. They worked for Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam, Punyalan Agarbattis (2013) and Punyalan Private Limited (2017) which did well at the box office.
His big-budget film Kathanar, set on the story of Kadamattathu Kathanar — a priest and his encounter with ghosts — is a much-anticipated project that is in the making.
Jayasurya and his wife Saritha Jayasurya. (Supplied)
Ranjith Sankar and Jayasurya worked together again in Njan Marykutty (2018) where the actor played the role of a transgender person.
Jayasurya not only won the hearts of the audience but also the Kerala State Best Actor Award for the movie.
The Malayalam actor also bagged the Kerala State Best Actor Award in 2020 for his appearance as an alcoholic in Vellam (2021).
He received a special jury mention at the National Awards 2015 for his performance in Su Su Sudhi Vathmeekam and Lukka Chuppi. He also received the JC Daniel Film Award for Best Actor for his 2021 movie Sunny.
Jayasurya married Saritha on 25 January 2004. Saritha is a costume designer and she owns a boutique in Kochi.
They have two children. His elder son did some films.
Jayasurya has acted in more than 100 films. (Supplied)
Statements by Jayasurya have often become controversial as he spoke against the government.
At an event organised by the Public Works Department in 2021 where he was the chief guest, the actor said if rain was the reason for the bad roads in Kerala, then Cherrapunji would not have any roads.
This statement sparked a controversy among the people supporting the government. However, two days later, Jayasruya praised the efficiency of PWD Minister Muhammed Riyas on social media.
The Malayalam actor also stated that he spoke openly at the event with the permission of the minister.
In a recent statement, he spoke about the issues being faced by the farmers in Kerala. During a programme, the actor criticised the government by listing out the difficulties experienced by the farmers.
He said a set of farmers were being forced to go on a hunger protest even on “Thiruvonam Day” as Supplyco was yet to pay their dues for the paddy procured.
