Retro (film)

Retro is an upcoming Indian Tamil-language romantic action film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj. Produced by Stone Bench Creations and 2D Entertainment, the film stars Suriya and Pooja Hegde in the lead roles.
The film was officially announced in March 2024 under the working title Suriya 44, with the tagline Love, Laughter and War, and unveiled its official title Retro in December 2024. Principal photography commenced in June 2024 and wrapped by early-October. Filming locations included Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ooty, Kerala and Chennai. The film has music composed by Santhosh Narayanan, cinematography handled by Shreyaas Krishna and editing by Shafique Mohamed Ali.
Retro is scheduled to be released worldwide on 1 May 2025 in theatres.
In late 2021, director Karthik Subbaraj and actor Suriya began discussing for a potential collaboration in the future. Although they had finalized to collaborate back then, both of their respective prior commitments delayed the collaboration. Two-and-a-half years later, on 28 March 2024, Subbaraj announced through his social media accounts that he would join hands with Suriya for his directorial venture after Jigarthanda DoubleX (2023). The project would be jointly funded by Subbaraj's Stone Bench Creations and Suriya's 2D Entertainment banner; he and Jyothika would be credited as producers, whereas Stone Bench's main producer Kaarthikeyan Santhanam will be credited as the co-producer with Rajsekar Pandian, the head of 2D Entertainment. The project was kept confidential by the makers until its announcement. The film was made on a budget of ₹65 crore.
Tentatively titled Suriya 44 with the tagline Love, Laughter and War, production was set to begin after the actor completed his film with Sudha Kongara which was then known as Suriya 43. However, a few days later, it was reported that since the start of Kongara's film would take a few more months, they were planning to complete the shooting of the project by then. Reportedly set in 1980s, the film was touted to be as a gangster action drama film. But Subbaraj later clarified that the film is a romance film which also involves major action sequences. The film's official title Retro was revealed on the occasion of Christmas (25 December 2024).
Subbaraj had met Suriya prior to the shooting of Jigarthanda DoubleX and narrated a one-liner, which the latter requested to develop. It took him several months for the writing and pre-production. After the release of Jigarthanda DoubleX, Subbaraj narrated the entire script to the actor. The dialogues for the Telugu and Hindi-dubbed versions were written by Hanumaan Choudary and Mohan Nair. A casting call was announced by the makers in late April 2024.
On the occasion of his birthday (15 May), Santhosh Narayanan was announced as the film's composer by the production house, in his eighth collaboration with the director. Two weeks later, the team announced that Shreyaas Krishna would handle the cinematography, in his third collaboration with Subbaraj after Jagame Thandhiram (2021) and Mahaan (2022). In addition to Shreyaas Krishna, the technical crew of art directors Jacki and Mayapandi, editor Shafique Mohamed Ali, stunt choreographer Kecha Khamphakdee and costume designer Praveen Raja were announced the same day.
In May 2024, the team shot the promotional video for the film for nearly three days. Prior to starting the first shooting schedule, the team had constructed a set at Port Blair located in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, for filming an action sequence.
Suriya would sport two different looks for the film. One with Fu Manchu moustache and mullet hair, and the other in trimmed beard and mustache, with a shorter hairdo. In mid-May, Pooja Hegde was reported to have been cast for the lead actress role, pairing opposite Suriya, in her first film with the latter and Subbaraj. Her inclusion was confirmed on 1 June by the production house. It is her third Tamil film after Mugamoodi (2012) and Beast (2022). Hegde would reportedly receive ₹4 crore (US$470,000)–₹5 crore (US$580,000) as remuneration. Speaking to Bollywood Hungama, Hegde revealed that Subbaraj had cast her after he was impressed by her performance in Radhe Shyam (2022). Following her look test, she began learning Tamil for her role as the leading lady.
Vijay Kumar, Jayaram and Nassar were reported being part of the cast, with the former reportedly playing the main antagonist. Jayaram was confirmed being part of the cast during his arrival for the film's shooting, and the latter while joining the Ooty schedule. Karunakaran and Joju George were also cast to play prominent roles, with the former marking his fourth collaboration with Subbaraj after Pizza (2012), Jigarthanda (2014) and Iraivi (2016), and latter marking his second collaboration with director after Jagame Thandhiram. Later it was reported that Prashanth and Prakash Raj would play important roles in the film, with latter in his fourth collaboration with Suriya after Nerukku Ner (1997), Singam (2010) and Jai Bhim (2021). Kalidas Jayaram was reportedly cast in for a role that would mark his second on-screen collaboration with father Jayaram after 12 years, after Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum (2003). However Rajsekar Pandian, the co-producer of the film denied Prashanth and Kalidas' inclusion, stating "Kalidas came on the last day shoot of Jayaram sir when the team cut a cake that has been misinterpreted." Nandita Das would return to Tamil cinema after a gap of twelve years with this film.
Although the makers approached Kannada actor Dhananjaya for a role, he could not sign the project due to scheduling conflicts. Malayalam actor Sujith Shankar joined the cast on 22 June 2024. Director Thamizh, Ramachandran Durairaj, Prem Kumar, Sandeep Raj and Remya Suresh joined cast for supporting roles. Shriya Saran joined the production in August 2024. She shot for a song alongside Suriya and others. George Maryan were present during the film's preliminary shooting, confirming their presence in the film. Singampuli confirmed that he is acting as Hegde's father in the film, marking his fourth collaboration with Suriya after Pithamagan, Perazhagan, and Maayavi, with the pair acting together for the first time.
Principal photography began with the first schedule on 2 June 2024 at Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Suriya, Hegde and Jayaram arrived at the location the previous day. Firstly, the team shot action sequences, choreographed by Kecha Khamphakdee, at a specially erected set. A song shoot featuring Suriya and Hegde was also held in early June 2024. Sujith Shankar joined the first schedule on 22 June 2024, while filming happening at Cellular Jail. A dance number featuring Suriya and Hegde, choreographed by Sherif Master was completed in late-June 2024. On 28 June, Joju George shared a video of himself on a boat in Andaman Island, revealing he joined the sets. The first schedule ended on 4 July 2024 at Andaman.
The second schedule began on 26 July at Ooty. This schedule was reportedly held for 15–20 days, where the team had shot few scenes at the scenic backdrop in Nilgiris. A dance number featuring the lead cast with numerous dancers was shot in late-July 2024 at Ooty. Later it was reported that after ending the Ooty schedule, the team moved to Kanyakumari on 31 July, which turned to be false. On 7 August, Suriya got a head injury on the sets, while filming an action sequence at Nawanagar Palace, Ooty. Although, Rajsekar Pandian tweeted that it was a minor injury, Suriya took a break from filming for a few days for recovery, which resulted in the filming being halted. On 14 August, Suriya returned to the sets to resume shooting, with several Russians and Afghans participating. Shooting reportedly happened at three hotels in the particular schedule. A song featuring Shriya Saran was shot in this schedule. This schedule was completed on 17 August 2024, with 70% of the film's shooting has been completed with this schedule. By mid-August, Jayaram completed filming for his portions,
After a day, on 19 August 2024, the next schedule was intended to begin at Idukki in Kerala for the two-day shoot; but was delayed. The schedule began with filming in Kaliyar area, Thodupuzha, at Idukki on 8 September 2024. The Kerala schedule, which went on for two days, ended on 9 September with a night shoot.
The team erected a jail set in BSNL office in Chennai in mid-September for the Chennai schedule. Rehearsals for a song shoot, choreographed by Sherif was done in later days. The final schedule began in late-September in Chennai, with Suriya shaving his beard and moustache for this schedule. Hegde had completed shooting for her portions by 24 September. The song "Kannadi Poove" was shot in BSNL office, Chennai. This schedule, which took place for two weeks, was completed by 6 October 2024, resulting in the film's principal photography being wrapped.
The sequence in the title teaser featuring Suriya and Hegde was shot at night in Varanasi, where 100-200 clay oil lamps were used to create a twilight effect. A 15-minutes long single shot sequence involving action, song and drama scenes were also shot while filming. 80% of the film was reportedly shot on sets.
After filming was completed, the film entered into an extensive post-production phase. Subbaraj revealed that he will spend more time for the film's post-production. resulting in the film's release plans for Pongal (14 January 2025) being deferred. Shafique Mohamed Ali renewed his association with Subbaraj after Jigarthanda Double X and handled the editing for the film. The film's visual effects were done by Lorven Studios and was supervised by S. Hariharasuthan. Suresh Ravi handled the color grading, digital intermediate and previsualization. S. Alagiakoothan worked on sound design and Suren G. handled the sound recording, editing and mixing of the film. Santhosh worked on the film's background score in November 2024. Joju George completed his dubbing by January 2025. Hegde completed her dubbing in February 2025. The final work for Retro began by March 2025. Suriya completed his dubbing in early-April 2025.
The music and background score are composed by Santhosh Narayanan, in his first collaboration with Suriya and eighth with Subbaraj. The audio rights of the film were bagged by T-Series. The first single "Kannadi Poove" was released on 13 February 2025, on the eve of Valentine's Day. The song is a melancholic number with vocals provided by Santhosh himself, backing vocals by Kapil Kapilan and written by Vivek. The second single "Kanimaa" was released on 21 March 2025.
The film's announcement poster released on 28 March 2024 became the most viewed announcement poster for an Indian film in 24 hours on Twitter. On 2 June 2024, the makers unveiled the film's "first shot" video, but the title was not revealed. It received a positive response and increased expectations for the film's title reveal. Subsequently, the video was attached for theatrical screenings. Later, after ten days of its original release, the video was released on YouTube. Akhila Menon of OTTPlay noted "The one-of-a-kind video, which is a first-time attempt in Tamil cinema, featured leading man Suriya in a never-seen-before avatar."
The film's title was to be unveiled on Suriya's birthday (23 July); however, a special promo was released on the aforementioned date, with no title revealed, but revealed that the title teaser is coming soon. It became the most viewed promo in less than 20 hours of its release. After receiving wider recognition, the glimpse was attached for theatrical screenings. On 22 November 2024, at the 55th International Film Festival of India, Karthik announced that promotions for the film would begin from the following month.
The title of the film was revealed on the occasion of Christmas (25 December) along with a teaser. It became the most watched Tamil title teaser in 24 hours with over 10 million views on YouTube. DT Next commented: "The 136-second teaser gives a glimpse into the world of Retro, with a balance of blood shed action with romance. The video begins with Suriya having a conversation with Pooja Hedge, and hints that Joju George plays the father of the lead actor." Bollywood Hungama said, "What stands out in the teaser is Pooja's ability to convey so much with just her eyes. There's a deep, unspoken emotion that speaks volumes, even without dialogue." Suhas Sistu, writing for The Hans India, noted that "With powerful visuals, a gripping background score, and seamless editing, the teaser has garnered attention for its high production values." Additionally, the title teaser managed to raise the already sky-high expectations for the film. Inspired by the teaser, the film's composer Santhosh Narayanan had shot a promotional video with his father, to promote his concert tour at Rudolf Weber-Arena, Oberhausen, Germany in June 2025. In February 2025, the teaser was attached to prints of Vidaamuyarchi in theatres. After its positive response, the teaser for the Telugu and Hindi-dubbed versions were released on the YouTube channels of T-Series on 7 February 2025.
Tuney John handled the publicity design for Retro and the poster campaign was well received. Outdoor promotions for the film began in early January 2025, four months prior to the theatrical release. From February 2025, the makers began publishing a behind-the-scenes comic strip panel leading up to the film's release.
Retro is scheduled to release theatrically on 1 May 2025 conciding workers day. Previously, the film was planned for release on the Pongal weekend but was postponed to the summer (April–June) of 2025, as Subbaraj needed more time for post-production process. The film's current release date was announced in January 2025. Apart from the original Tamil language, it is scheduled to be released in the Telugu and Hindi languages.
Sakthi Film Factory acquired the distribution rights of the film in Tamil Nadu. Sithara Entertainment acquired the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana rights. Swagath Enterprises will release the film in Karnataka. Vaika Merryland Release will distribute the film in Kerala.
AP International handled the acquisition for the overseas theatrical distribution rights. Home Screen Entertainment bought Singapore distribution rights of the film, while Boleyn Cinema acquired the distribution rights for UK. Prime Media acquired the distribution rights for the North America and will release in Tamil and Telugu languages.
The film's digital rights for Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada versions are acquired by Netflix for a record price of ₹80 crore (US$9.3 million). Additionally, the Hindi digital rights were sold for ₹25 crore (US$2.9 million).