Suriya on his inspiration: Kamal Haasan raises the bar with each film

Chennai: Actor Suriya, who loves to experiment with a variety of roles and complex projects, says he wants to be part of films that create good memories such that audiences want to revisit even after a decade. “Filmmaking is all about creating memories and happiness. Actors are like bubbles; not ever lasting and they will be replaced eventually. What you leave behind are good films. I want my films to create good memories even when they’re watched after a decade,” Suriya told IANS in an interview. [caption id=“attachment_2739212” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Suriya in ‘24’[/caption] An ardent admirer of Kamal Haasan, the Singam star unabashedly admits he wants to walk in the former’s path. “Look at Kamal sir’s films. He has so many different films to his credit. As an actor, he has raised the bar with each film. That’s why we like to revisit his films even today. There are entertaining films, hit films and good films. But not all hit films are good films,” he said, adding he feels disappointed when he has to restrict himself. “When I look at the work of Kamal sir, I feel I’m not delivering enough. I will never get tired doing something different. I enjoyed doing films like 7aum Arivu because I was dealing with fresh content, and Maattrraan, because nobody had worked on a film with conjoined twins,” he said. Suriya’s upcoming release is time-travel thriller 24, and it’s directed by Vikram K Kumar. Tipped to be an ambitious project, Suriya says the film will give audiences a unique “movie-watching” experience. “I don’t want to hard sell a 24. I’m not saying we’ve made a path-breaking film but I know it will be unique. It’s a film one might come across once in 3-4 years. Unlike Bollywood, where actors are lucky to work with directors from other industries with willingness to experiment, Tamil actors don’t have too many choices,” he said. Suriya says 24 is the director’s film. “This movie belongs to Vikram, and he has conceived it with a lot of passion. I might be playing triple roles and have more screen presence, but nobody can overshadow a good story,” he said. The film is bankrolled by his home banner 2D Entertainment, and Suriya has no qualms in taking risks as a producer. “Money has never been a concern, thanks to the star status I enjoy. If I lose money in a project, I can earn it in the next one I act. I don’t have to sell my property or borrow money to produce. I use the money I’ve earned as an actor to invest in another good project,” he said. Currently shooting for S3, the third installment in the Singam franchise, Suriya also has a Telugu-Tamil bilingual project in the offing. “I’m working with the same team. We’re like a family now. The best of both parts of Singam has been imbibed into S3. We’re trying to make the third part more interesting. We’re in talks for the bilingual project with Trivikram, and we’re looking into the logistics of it,” he added. Next month, Suriya plans to make an official announcement regarding a new project with his wife Jyotika.