Soorarai Pottru is not pure fiction. It is loosely based on the life of , the founder of Air Deccan. In the early 2000s, Gopinath revolutionized Indian aviation by introducing the concept of "no-frills" air travel—tickets for just one rupee. The film’s protagonist, Nedumaaran Rajangam (Maara), faces virtually insurmountable obstacles: a corrupt system, powerful competitors, bureaucratic red tape, and a personal tragedy that would break most men.

Maaran’s airline didn't just take off; it changed the aviation landscape of India forever. He had done the impossible. He had proved that the sky was not a ceiling, but a roof that had to be blown off.