Suriya’s most anticipated Retro, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, was released in theaters on May 1st and has received mixed responses from audiences and critics.
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Despite a strong opening on its Day 1, Retro dipped in box office collections in many places from Day 2 and is heading towards a theatrical failure.
Recently, after the release of Retro, Karthik Subbaraj participated in an interview in which he revealed that he would stop reading online reviews after Retro.
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He feels that many of the reviews are filled with targeted hatred; all he sees is audiences loving the film, and this is evident during his theater visits as he feels the vibe of the audience in theaters.
This has now gone viral. Following this, some netizens responded that this statement of targeted hatred for a film on social media is a new trend that Kollywood directors are now following to cover their mistakes after delivering a disastrous movie.
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If Karthik Subbaraj truly avoids reviews, he risks becoming disconnected from his audience. He won’t understand what went wrong, won’t evolve as a filmmaker, and may remain stuck in an echo chamber of selective praise.
Not everyone hated Retro. Some enjoyed it. But a significant chunk of the audience found it exhausting and repetitive. Ignoring those voices in the name of “negativity” won’t help in the long run. If he wants to grow and go big, listening to all feedback, good and bad, is the only way forward.
Karthik Subbaraj already has a section of fan following for his style of movies, but if he needs to cater to a larger number, then he should take feedback from the audience without any complaints, says the Kollywood audience.
However, it remains to be seen how Retro will perform in the box office collections in the following days. As of now achieving breakeven mark looks impossible, unless some miracle happens.
