MUMBAI: Mumbai has long been celebrated as the “city of dreams,” but for actor Suraj Berry — son of veteran actor Sudesh Berry — it is also the city of struggles, survival, and silent resilience. In a candid reflection, Suraj shares how life in Mumbai shapes both actors and ordinary citizens, each navigating different battles yet bound by the same restless spirit of the city.
“For an actor, Mumbai is opportunity, recognition, and the possibility of stardom,” Suraj says. “But for a common Mumbaiker, the dream is often simpler — owning a small home, securing a child’s education, or achieving financial stability. While actors wrestle with auditions, rejection, and unpredictable income, ordinary citizens fight their own battles with crowded trains, traffic jams, rising rents, and job insecurity.”
The contrast between the two worlds may appear stark, but Suraj believes there is more in common than meets the eye. “Traffic spares no one — whether you’re a commuter hanging on to a train door or a star in a chauffeur-driven car. The cost of living weighs on all of us, though some are cushioned against it. In the end, both actors and ordinary Mumbaikers are engaged in survival, each in their own way,” he reflects.
According to him, celebrities carry a responsibility to use their platforms to bridge this gap between glamour and ground reality. “The media often glorifies red carpets, luxury homes, and vacations, but rarely highlights the struggles of the common man. Behind every moment of stardom lies years of rejection and sacrifice, and beyond every glittering skyline lies the hard labor of ordinary citizens who keep the city alive. Their struggles and successes deserve equal celebration,” Suraj emphasizes.
On a personal level, Mumbai has been Suraj’s greatest teacher. “It has taught me patience — in queues, in traffic, in the waiting rooms of auditions. It has taught me resilience — to fall, to rise, and to keep moving forward like the city itself. Above all, it has taught me hope — the belief that tomorrow can always be better,” he shares.
If given the chance to address one pressing issue, Suraj points to housing and the rising cost of living. “This city attracts dreamers from across the country, but many give up not for lack of talent, but because they simply cannot afford to survive here. Through my work, I want to highlight these realities — the chawls, the distant suburbs, the daily grind — so Mumbai can remain not only the city of dreams, but also a city where those dreams are sustainable.”
As Suraj Berry prepares for his return to the world of acting, he carries with him not just the legacy of his father, but also the lessons of the city that shaped him — lessons of patience, resilience, and hope.
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