Suriya recalls Fahadh Faasil's journey, praises his instinct over star calculations

Suriya recalled his long association with Fahadh Faasil and praised the actor's instinctive approach to choosing roles. He said Fahadh focuses on the core of a character and story rather than calculating how a film might affect his image.

In Short

• Suriya recalled years of conversations about careers, struggles and shared memories
• Suriya said Fahadh does not make image-based calculations
• “He only sees the core of a character,” said Suriya

Fahadh Faasil is set to make his Telugu lead debut with the upcoming fantasy entertainer Don’t Trouble The Trouble, presented by SS Rajamouli. As the team continues its promotional tour across states, actor Suriya recently spoke about his long-standing association with Fahadh and praised him for the way he approaches his characters and films.

At a promotional event in Tamil Nadu, Fahadh addressed Suriya as “anna”, meaning elder brother. Responding to him, Suriya recalled the years of conversations and memories they have shared while navigating their respective careers in the film industry.

“We’ve spoken so much and spent so much time together (over the years). We’ve talked in the morning, afternoon, evening, mid-evening, late night, and until dawn. We have so many memories together,” Suriya said.

The actor also looked back at the early years of their careers, when neither had the fame or recognition they have today. “All this (fame and stardom) wasn’t there at the start. We fell, broke our knees, and only then were we able to stand up. I have beautiful memories with you,” he said.

Suriya then praised Fahadh for the way he approaches characters and stories, particularly his willingness to take on roles without being overly concerned about how they might affect his image. He pointed out that actors often consider how a film might be received by different sections of the audience before making a decision.

“He’s not like that at all. I still make wrong calculations, and I haven’t been able to be like Fahadh,” Suriya said.

According to Suriya, Fahadh instead focuses on the essence of the character and the story. “He only sees the core of a character. ‘Is the story good? Can we give this content to our audience?’ He sees things freshly, innocently, and openly. That’s why we get movies like the ones he makes. Thank you for being you,” he added.

Fahadh is now venturing into Telugu cinema as a lead with Don’t Trouble The Trouble. Written and directed by debutant Shashank Yeleti, the film follows Suri, a magician played by Fahadh, who befriends a young girl. The story takes a fantasy turn when the girl develops supernatural abilities and is revealed to be a genie capable of granting wishes.

The film also stars child actors Ssara Palekar and Saurabh Sachdeva. Kaala Bhairava has composed the music, while Brad Francis and Praveen Antony have handled cinematography and editing respectively. The film is produced by Shobu Yarlagadda, Prasad Devineni and SS Karthikeya.

Don’t Trouble The Trouble is scheduled to release worldwide on October 2.

Meanwhile, Fahadh recently produced Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, which emerged as the highest-grossing film in Malayalam cinema. The actor is also among the producers backing the film.

With Don’t Trouble The Trouble, Fahadh is stepping into a new industry as a Telugu lead, while Suriya’s remarks offer a glimpse into the actor’s approach to picking characters — one that, according to his longtime friend, is driven more by the story and the character than by calculations around image or audience expectations.

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