Actor-entrepreneur Suraj Seetharaman: We often mistake struggle for success

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 SurajSeetharaman, 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 JioHotstarThey 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.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.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.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.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 take