Suraj Sharma (born March 21 1993) is an Indian actor from New Delhi, who made his debut with the title role in the 2012 film Life of Pi. Directed by Ang Lee, Life of Pi was adapted from the novel of the same name.
Suraj Sharma was born in New Delhi, India, into a Malayali family which originally hails from Thalassery, Kerala. His father is a software engineer from Thalassery and his mother is an economist from Palakkad. He has completed schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya, where he was described as a popular student. Before the role, he had no former acting experience, and auditioned only because he was there with his younger brother who requested he come along. He was one of the 3,000 actors to audition for the role of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). Sharma went through several rounds of auditions before winning the part. 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.
Since filming Life of Pi, Sharma has returned to studying philosophy at St. Stephen's College, Delhi of Delhi University, and intends to continue working in filmmaking in some capacity. The movie has received critical acclaim and positive reviews for Sharma's performance.
