Suriya and Jyothika's love story: From co-stars in ‘Poovellam Kettuppar’ to 18 years of marriage and a beautiful family

Often seen as the perfect couple in Indian cinema, Suriya and Jyothika have shared a beautiful bond for over twenty years. What started as a working relationship between actors grew into a powerful real-life marriage. Their journey is an inspiring story of helping each other through language barriers, building deep mutual respect, and standing firm in their love despite initial objections from their families.

Meet-cute moment at 'Poovellam Kettuppar' set

Suriya and Jyothika first met on the sets of the Tamil film Poovellam Kettuppar in 1999 as reported by Pinkvilla. At the time, Suriya had already acted in a few films. For Jyothika, however, the film was one of her early projects in Tamil cinema. Originally from Mumbai Jyothika Sadanah spoke Hindi and initially found it difficult to adapt to Tamil dialogue delivery. During that period Suriya reportedly helped her become comfortable on set and assisted her with the language.

How their friendship turned into love

Impressed by Jyothika’s efforts to learn Tamil and adjust to a new industry, Suriya gradually developed affection for her. Their friendship slowly deepened as both actors continued to grow in their respective careers. The turning point reportedly came when they worked together in the cop thriller film 'Kaakha Kaakha,' directed by Gautham Vasudev Menon. It is believed that their relationship became serious during the making of the film. The chemistry between the actors in the song 'Uyirin Uyirae' is too adorable to watch isn't it? Over the years Suriya and Jyothika teamed up for several superhit films, including *Sillunu Oru Kaadhal*, *Perazhagan*, and *Maayavi*.

Sivakumar’s initial disapproval

Despite their growing bond the couple reportedly faced opposition during the early stages of their relationship. Veteran actor Sivakumar, Suriya’s father, initially objected to the marriage. Reports suggested that the hesitation was due to differences in background and personal concerns. However Suriya remained firm about his decision.

In an earlier conversation with Galatta channel Suriya's father recalled his reaction when he first learned about his son’s relationship. Speaking about the moment, he said, "However, he was very adamant and said that he would only live with her; otherwise, he would remain single for life."

Suriya’s determination made his father reconsider his stance. Sivakumar later revealed that he reflected on his own film career during which he had acted in many movies portraying love marriages positively. Realising the irony he eventually decided to respect his son’s decision. During the same conversation, Sivakumar also shared an interesting detail about the early interactions between Suriya and Jyothika. He revealed that Suriya had been very shy in his younger years. According to him, actress Radikaa Sarathkumar encouraged Suriya to start conversations with Jyothika.

The marriage that followed

After overcoming the initial obstacles, Suriya and Jyothika finally tied the knot on September 11, 2006, in Chennai. Over time, their relationship became one of the most admired partnerships in South Indian cinema. Today, Suriya and Jyothika continue to be among the most respected couples in the industry. The couple has two children: daughter Diya and son Dev. Coming to the work front, Suriya was last seen in Karthik Subbaraj's directorial *Retro*.Get the latest entertainment updates from the Times of India, along with the latest Hindi movies, upcoming Hindi movies in 2026 , and Telugu movies.”