Once one of the biggest stars in south cinema, this actor's career derailed after a case of rape and blackmail, following which he was jailed.
If one talks about the biggest actors from Tamil and Telugu cinema since the 80s, names like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Nagarjuna, and Venkatesh come to mind. These superstars have ruled the industry for four decades, giving younger heroes a run for their money. But once upon a time, there was a hero that was more successful and better-paid than them, only to have a controversy take it all away.
The south superstar who was once bigger than Chiranjeevi
Suman Talwar, known mononymously as Suman, was born in 1959 in a Tulu-speaking Tamil family. He began his film career with the 1978 release Karunai Ullam and by the early-80s, was regarded one of the most popular young heroes in romantic films in both Tamil and Telugu cinema. His early hits included Neti Bharatam (1983), Sitaara (1984), and many more. While Chiranjeevi was establishing himself as a mass hero, Suman became the first choice romantic hero, but he also dabbled in action and drama. According to a Bhaskar report, Suman charged over Rs 5 lakh per film in the mid-80s, more than both Chiranjeevi and Rajinikanth at the time even though both of them were big stars.
Suman’s sudden downfall and legal troubles
In 1988, Suman found himself embroiled in a legal case whe police raided his house and seized pornographic videos. Three young women accused Suman of rape, further alleging that he filmed them performing sexual acts without their consent and blackmailed them. The case dragged on and Suman was jailed for an extended amount of time. During this time, he became a pariah in the industry with most top producers refusing to work with him. In an interview in 2008, Suman claimed that he had been physically tortured in jail. Eventually, the actor was never convicted in the case.
Suman’s comeback in films and emergence as villain
After a lacklustre 90s, Suman returned to films in 2000s, appearing in supporting roles. His big break in his second innings was as the villain of the 2007 Rajinikanth-starrer Sivaji The Boss, which turned out to be an industry hit. He later played villain in other hits like Kuruvi (2008) and Sagar alias Jacky (2009). Suman has contiued to appear in supporting roles in several successful films in Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema over the years, including recent hits like Varisu. He made his Bollywood debut in 2015 with Akshay Kumar’s Gabbar Is Back.
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 "Once south India's highest paid actor")
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