Tamil cinema superstar Suriya's new film Retro was released in theatres on 1st May 2025. Directed by Karthik Subbaraj, the film is a romantic action drama starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles. Actors like Jayaram, Joju George, Prakash Raj and Nassar have played supporting roles. Music by Santhosh Narayanan and cinematography by Shreyas Krishna have given the film a stunning look. The 168-minute film has been released in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. The film garnered a lot of buzz before its release due to its stylish promos and Suriya-Karthik pairing. But did the film live up to expectations? Let's find out in the review.
Plot Summary
The story of Retro revolves around Parivel Kannan aka Pari (Suriya) who is an orphan and is adopted by Tuticorin gangster Thilakan (Joju George) and his wife Sandhya (Swasthika). Sandhya loves Paari like her own son but Thilakan never accepts him. After Sandhya's death, Paari becomes Thilakan's right hand and gets involved in the smuggling business. But after falling in love with Rukmini (Pooja Hegde), he decides to give up his violent life. He promises to marry Rukmini and lead a peaceful life. But on the wedding day, Thilakan demands a mysterious consignment called gold fish from him which only Paari knows about. Thilakan's attack and Rukmini's anger leads Paari to a mysterious island in Andaman where he searches for the real purpose of his life. Will Paari be able to get his girlfriend back and will he reveal the secret of the gold fish? This is the main suspense of the film.
Performance and Highlights
Suriya has proved his acting prowess in the character of Paari. His different looks and depth in emotional scenes are the strongest side of the film. Be it action scenes or romantic moments, Surya dominates everywhere. Especially the 15-minute single-shot scene of Kanima song and wedding drama showcases their performance and Karthik's technical prowess. The scene is a great mix of action drama and emotions that keeps the audience engaged. Pooja Hegde has given a beautiful and simple performance as Rukmini but her character does not get much depth. Joju George has given a solid performance as Thilakan but his role is limited. Veteran actors like Nassar and Prakash Raj are underutilized. Vidu has impressed as an unexpected villain. Shriya Saran has a small role in a special song.
Technical Aspects and Direction
Karthik Subbaraj has divided Retro into chapters like Love, Laughter and War which shows his Quentin Tarantino-inspired style. The first half of the film is full of romance and humor and moves fast. Especially the Kanima song and its single-shot scene are technically brilliant. Santosh Narayanan's background score adds energy to the scenes though barring a few songs like Kanima, others are average. Shreyas Krishna's cinematography is superb, especially in the Andaman scenes. But Shafiq Mohammad Ali's editing is lacking as many scenes are unnecessarily long. Karthik's ambition and attempt to give a social message is commendable but the story goes astray in the second half. Subplots like Jada Muni and the rubber cult in Andaman make the story complex and confusing, which weakens the emotional connection.
What's special and what's lacking
The biggest strength of Retro is Surya's brilliant performance and Karthik's stylish direction. The first half of the film is entertaining and has been well received by Surya's fans. The single-shot scene of the Kanima song and Surya's action avatar force the audience to applaud in the theater. But the second half weakens the story. Too many characters and subplots like the tribal story and the mystery of the gold fish complicate the story. The lack of emotional depth and long runtime make the film tedious. Some critics have described it as similar to the style of Jigarthanda Double X and Kanguva but it is less effective than them. The attempt to incorporate social message and Buddhist philosophy is good but it fails to connect with the audience completely.
Audience response and box office
Retro received mixed reviews on social media. Some fans called it a great comeback for Suriya and praised his stylish performance and the Kanima song. One user wrote "Suriya has made a bang and Karthik's story is great". But some called the second half weak and confusing. One user said "The first half is a hit but the second half disappoints". At the box office, the film earned a brilliant Rs 19.25 crore on the first day with the Tamil version contributing Rs 17.25 crore. In four days, the film earned Rs 78 crore worldwide which is the third biggest opening of Tamil cinema in 2025. But due to mixed reviews, the pace slowed down and by the 14th day it reached Rs 59.30 crore nett.
Rating and Conclusion
Retro is a film that impresses initially on the back of Surya's brilliant performance and Karthik Subbaraj's stylish direction. It is a mix of romance action and social message that keeps the audience engaged in its first half. But the second half and complicated subplots make it average. This film is a treat for Surya fans but for the general audience it may be a bit disappointing. If you want to enjoy Surya's action and romance then you can watch it but don't have high expectations. Our rating: 3/5. It is a stylish but unbalanced ride that is worth watching for Surya's hard work and some great moments.