Actor-producer Suriya attended the trailer launch event of Viruman in Madurai on Wednesday. Fresh off winning the National Award for Best Actor, Suriya expressed his gratitude to friends and fans who stood by him for over 25 years now. “I wasn’t there in the country for 40 days. I was in New York to attend a matter concerning my daughter’s education. So it took a while for me to understand that I won the National Award. But, even before me, you guys started celebrating my win. That’s what makes me so happy,” Suriya said. The actor further noted that it was only a matter of time before his two brothers, Karthi and Yuvan Shankar Raja, got their dues. “Nobody can deny the depth of their contribution to the film industry. And the recognition and celebrations they will receive will be much bigger than mine,” he said. Suriya also said that Karthi is a better actor than him on any given day. “I may have arrived in this industry much before Karthi. But, when it comes to dedicating oneself to the craft, he’s way better than me. I can openly say it anywhere, anytime, he’s a better actor than me,” he added. Suriya was wearing the Rolex watch that he received as a gift from actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan. He showed the watch to fans as they worked themselves into a frenzy. Kamal gifted the watch after Suriya’s cameo as Rolex became a sensational hit with the audience, significantly contributing to the huge box office success of Vikram. “I got this gift because of you,” Suriya told his fans at the event. Suriya and Karthi dropped enough hints about the possibility of them playing their characters Rolex and Dilli in a movie soon. “Let time decide. Let’s wait,” Suriya concluded. Vikram had overlapping characters and themes from director Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Kaithi, in which Karthi played the lead role of Dilli. Meanwhile, Suriya’s 2D Entertainment has bankrolled Viruman. The film marks the screen debut of Aditi Shankar, who is the daughter of director Shankar. The movie is due in cinemas on August 11.
