Suresh Gopi: From ‘Commissioner’ Of Dialogues To Union Minister

Suresh Gopi’s career in movies and politics has a somewhat similar trajectory. When he began as a supporting actor in the 1980s in Malayalam movies, he was often overshadowed by the then-emerging actors Mammootty and Mohanlal. It was Faazil’s “Ente Suryaputhrikku” that gave him the break to emerge as a bankable actor in a solo leading role. The 2024 Lok Sabha election is his “Ente Suryaputhrikku” moment in politics. With this victory in Thrissur, where he was defeated twice and came third both times – once in the Lok Sabha and once in the Assembly elections – Suresh Gopi gave the BJP two stunning records. First, he became the first BJP Member of Parliament to be elected from the state, which is otherwise known as an unbreakable fort for the saffron party. Second, his victory came against two political stalwarts: K. Muraleedharan, son of K. Karunakaran and veteran of many successful election campaigns over the last three decades, and V. S. Sunil Kumar, a popular politician from the region.

Now, the Union Minister post he has been offered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his new cabinet seems like his “Thalasthanam” and “Ekalavyan” moment; from there, he thrived as a superstar in the Malayalam film industry, which was at that time (and perhaps still is) dominated by two big ‘M’s (Mammootty and Mohanlal). Later, he found success with major hits like “Commissioner,” “Lelam,” “Mafia,” “Pathram,” “Thenkasipattanam,” and “Summer in Bethlehem.” “Kaliyattam,” directed by Jayaraj, won him the National Award and the Kerala State Award.

His major hits like “Thalasthanam,” “Ekalavyan,” “Lelam,” “Commissioner,” and “Pathram” had one connection to the career he is currently concentrating on. In all of these movies, one way or another, Suresh Gopi was up against villains who were mostly associated with politics. His fiery dialogues (thanks to Renji Panicker) gave him a large fan following as he took on the corrupt system and politics in those movies.

Again, look at his latest statements: he is in no mood to give away his fans. His way of communication during and after the electoral campaign was no different from the characters he portrayed in his movies.

Suresh Gopi, born on June 26, 1958, in Kollam, Kerala, has made significant changes in his movie career as it progressed. He started doing comedy and serious drama, which helped him showcase his versatile acting skills and charismatic screen presence. His film career, spanning over three decades, includes a wide array of roles in more than 200 films.

Before joining politics in 2016, Suresh Gopi was a Rajya Sabha MP nominated by the President of India in the category of eminent citizens.