Director Karthik Subbaraj aimed to deliver a major comeback for Suriya with Retro, especially after the actor’s recent flops. But the film failed to meet expectations, leaving fans deeply disappointed.
While the first half showed some promise, the film lost momentum after that. Audiences in Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada markets were particularly unimpressed. Once reviews came out, word-of-mouth turned negative, and footfalls dropped drastically.
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Box office competition made things worse. Nani’s HIT 3 delivered a major blow, thanks to its violent mass appeal, which overshadowed Retro.
Even with strong distribution support, Retro couldn’t draw crowds in the Telugu states. Screens were available, but audience turnout was poor.
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In Kerala, Mohanlal’s Thudarum took the lead, with Retro barely making a mark. Karnataka’s response was even worse, a complete washout.
In Tamil Nadu, the smaller film Tourist Family grew through word-of-mouth and is now a hit. Subtitled shows of Tourist Family in Hyderabad also pulled in decent crowds, highlighting the stark contrast.
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Even in North India, Bollywood’s Raid 2 proved to be strong competition. With pressure coming from all directions, Retro fell flat at the box office.
This outcome has left Suriya’s comeback hopes in limbo. Now, fans are left wondering when the actor will bounce back with a solid, crowd-pleasing film.
His next film with RJ Balaji sounds promising, more commercial, and audience friendly. It might bail him out before he goes into Rolex mode with Lokesh Kanagaraj.
