Suresh Gopi is leading all the headlines after he won the Lok Sabha seat from Thrissur, Kerala. With a thumping margin of 74,000 votes, the Malayalam actor is the first BJP Lok Sabha MP from Kerala. Suresh Gopi hardly needs any introduction as he is one of the most iconic actors in the Malayalam film industry.
Born on June 26, 1958, in Kollam, Kerala, to film distributor, Gopinathan Pillai and his wife, Gnanalekshmi, Suresh is the eldest of his three siblings. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Zoology and a Master’s degree in English literature. Apart from being an actor, TV presenter, and politician, Suresh is hailed for his humble nature and his massive social work. Known as a people’s man, the actor is loved by the masses for his humanitarian works.
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Though he is a public personality, but there are some aspects of Suresh Gopi that people hardly know. He is an extremely emotional person, and his life revolves around his children. Today, let us delve into some unknown details about the actor-turned MP.
Suresh Gopi started his acting career as a child artist in 1965 in Odayil Ninnu. He later made his debut as an adult in 1986 with the film, Niramulla Raavukal. The actor went on to play a few antagonist and supporting roles before getting a breakthrough by playing the lead role in the film, Thalastaanam in 1992. Suresh became an overnight star and established himself as one of the most bankable stars with the film, Ekalavyan.
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With more than 250 films to his credit, Suresh has acted in superhits like Manichitrathazhu, Commissioner, Lelam, Pathram, and many others. In 1998, Suresh Gopi won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his splendid performance in Kaliyattam. In 2015, Suresh took a hiatus from acting and made his comeback after five years with the film, Varane Avashyamund in 2020.
In 2012, Suresh Gopi donned the hat of a TV show host with the show, Ningalkkum Aakaam Kodeeshwaran, the Malayalam version of Kaun Banega Crorepati. Suresh’s energetic presence and charisma in the show won millions of hearts and the actor went on to host five more seasons of the show. He has also hosted the show, Anchinodu Inchodinchu.
Suresh Gopi had an arranged marriage with Radhika Nair, who is the granddaughter of actress, Arnamula Ponnamma. Radhika was Suresh’s parents’ choice, who loved her in their first meeting. In a throwback interview with a leading daily, Suresh revealed how he told his parents that he would marry any girl they would want. Elaborating on the same, he stated:
“My parents went to the bride’s house to meet the girl (Radhika). After that my father called me on the phone to tell me about the meeting. I told him that I valued the decision of my father and mother. I was in Kodaikanal and was filming a movie that day, November 18, 1989. My father told me about Radhika and that they wanted her as their daughter-in-law. He told me to go, meet her and take a final decision. My father also added that our house needed a daughter as we had only four sons. We are four brothers and we don’t have a sister. I told my father clearly that his decision will be mine too. I don't even want to see the bride, I would marry the girl you say.”
Suresh Gopi married Radhika in February 1990, and they have four children, Gokul Suresh, Bhagya Suresh, Bhavni Suresh, and Madhav Suresh. Gokul Suresh followed in his father’s footsteps and ventured into acting.
Suresh Gopi loves children, and that is exactly what he told his wife, Radhika, on their first meeting. Soon after their marriage, Suresh and Radhika became parents after she gave birth to a baby girl and named her Lakshmi. On June 6, 1992, the couple went to attend a wedding function with their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.
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While Suresh went to Kochi from the function for his shoot, Radhika and Lakshmi had left to return to their home with Suresh’s brother. The Maruti they were traveling in had a head-on collision with an ambassador car. In the tragic accident, Suresh and Radhika lost their one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Lakshmi. Radhika had lost her memory for some time.
There is not a single day when Suresh and Radhika don’t remember Lakshmi. In a throwback interview with Indian Express, Radhika talked about the loss of her daughter and said:
“We have never forgotten her, Lakshmi will always be there permanently in our hearts, even though we have four children now. After Lakshmi’s death, we never go out during festivals. We invite relatives and friends to come over.”
In 2022, during a promotional event for his film, Pappan, Suresh got emotional when he learned that the girl who came for his interview was named Lakshmi. During the interview, Suresh broke into tears and spoke about the loss of his daughter. The actor stated that Lakshmi’s death is still so painful for him that even after his death, his ashes could feel the pain of her loss.
Suresh Gopi’s interest in politics began when he was in college when he was an active member of the Students’ Federation of India. In April 2016, Suresh Gopi was sworn in as a member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. In October 2016, Suresh Gopi joined the BJP and contested the 2019 election as a BJP candidate from the Thrissur constituency but lost to INC.
In 2024, Suresh was announced as the BJP candidate from Thrissur for the Lok Sabha elections. When the results came out, Suresh won the seat with a whopping majority of over 74,000 votes.
Apart from being one of the most renowned actors and politicians, Suresh is loved by millions for his charitable works. From providing shelter to the homeless to sponsoring the complete education of the underprivileged, the list of his humanitarian works is endless. The immense love the actor receives from the masses is proof of the social work he does. Actor Jayaram once talked about Suresh’s charitable works and said:
“Whoever comes at his doorstep pleading help will not go back empty-handed. Even if Suresh is going through some crisis, he would help people and care less about his financial condition. His daughter’s marriage is scheduled for the 17th of this month. I know how Radhika (Suresh Gopi’s wife) is struggling to do all the work related to the marriage. Suresh is spending every money on charity that he doesn’t even care if he has enough to spend to buy his daughter some ornaments. He might delay booking the marriage auditorium because all his money is being moved to charity. Even if somebody in need comes and asks for money, he would happily give the money he reserved to book for the auditorium.”
Over the years, we have seen many actors become politicians, but Suresh Gopi is an exception. Even before entering politics, he started working for the betterment of people through his social works, and that too without publicity. Behind the strong exterior, there is a man whose eyes well up at the mere sight of someone’s suffering. That is Suresh Gopi for you.
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