Suraj Sharma

Suraj Sharma

Sharma at a press conference for Life of Pi, New Delhi, 20 November 2012
Born 21 March 1993[1]
New Delhi, India
Residence New Delhi, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater St. Stephen's College of Delhi University
Occupation actor
Years active 2010–present

Suraj Sharma (born 21 March 1993) is an Indian actor, who made his debut with the title role in the 2012 film Life of Pi.[2] Directed by Ang Lee, Life of Pi was adapted from the novel of the same name.[3] In 2014, he played a recurring role in the fourth season of the television series Homeland.

Life and career

Suraj Sharma was born and brought up in New Delhi, India. His father Gokul Churai is a software engineer and his mother Shailaja is an economist. He attended Sardar Patel Vidyalaya school. He has a younger brother Sriharsh Sharma,who has also acted in two films and a younger sister, Dhruvatara Sharma. With no prior acting experiences, he auditioned along with his brother for the role of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). Sharma went through several rounds of auditions before winning the title role.[4][5] Director Ang Lee has stated that he selected Sharma primarily based on his expressive eyes and innocent appearance. According to him, Sharma had not only the emotion, but also the "look" of Pi. His "medium complexion" and "average build" were deemed perfect for the role.[6] The movie has received critical acclaim and positive reviews for Sharma's performance.

Since filming Life of Pi, Sharma returned to studying philosophy at St. Stephen's College, Delhi of Delhi University. He intends to continue working in filmmaking in some capacity. He is currently undertaking a Mass Communication course at New York University.[5] In 2014, he portrayed Aayan Ibrahim, nephew of a terrorist, in season 4 of the Showtime series Homeland.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Note
2012 Life of Pi Pi
2014 Million Dollar Arm Rinku Singh
2014 Umrika Ramakant

Television

Year Title Role Note
2014 Homeland Aayan Ibrahim Recurring role in season 4

Awards and nominations

Sharma has received a Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Youth in Film for his role of Pi in his debut film "Life of Pi". He has received eight nominations and has won three awards.

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Work Result
2012 British Academy Film Awards Rising Star Life of Pi Nominated
Critic's Choice Awards Young Actor/Actress Nominated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Youth in Film Won
Phoenix Film Critics Society Breakthrough Performance On Camera Nominated
2013 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture Nominated
MTV Movie Awards Breakthrough Performance Nominated
Best Scared as Sh*t Performance Won
Saturn Awards Best Performance by a Younger Actor Won

References

  1. ↑ Sullivan, Michael. (13 September 2012) Suraj Sharma: 'Pi' player – Entertainment News, Youth Impact Report, Media. Variety. Retrieved on 2012-12-03.
  2. ↑ "Ang Lee praises Suraj Sharma's work in 'Life of Pi'". Times of India. 8 April 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  3. ↑ "Adrift With a Tiger and the Film God". New York Times. 6 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-09.
  4. ↑ Next Factor Q&A: ‘Life of Pi’ Star Suraj Sharma. NextMovie (21 November 2012). Retrieved on 2012-12-03.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Suraj Sharma: Actor's Role In 'Life Of Pi' Proves Life-Changing. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved on 2012-12-03.
  6. ↑ 'Life of Pi': Suraj Sharma's Odyssey From Typical Teen to Leading Man. The Hollywood Reporter (20 November 2012). Retrieved on 2012-12-03.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Suraj Sharma.