Rajan was named after the Surulivelar Swamy, the family deity at a temple on top of a hill overlooking Suruli Falls.
[1] Seeking fame in acting, he starred in several amateur stage plays in Madurai before moving to Madras in 1959 with the intention of being part of bigger productions.
Ltd who brought Suruli Rajan to cinema, first in a brief appearance in Iravum Pagalum in 1965 and soon after in a more noticeable comic role in Kathal Paduthum Padu the year following.
Khaja's Manthoppu Kiliye (1979) received rare acclaim, securing a distinguished position among the timeless comedic sequences in Tamil cinema.
His comedic antics became a ubiquitous presence in many films of that era, earning him a record for appearing in no less than 50 movies in a single year in 1980.