Suriya's 'Retro' Opens To Disappointing Start In Telugu States

“Retro faced stiff competition from Nani’s latest release, which occupied key screens and diverted attention,” noted a local distributor. “This has significantly affected the film’s performance on May 1.”

In Retro, Suriya plays a brooding gangster looking to abandon his violent past and settle into a peaceful life after falling in love with Pooja Hegde’s character. However, the narrative has been criticized as outdated and predictable, despite the decent on-screen chemistry between the lead pair. “The romance lacked the spark it needed to elevate the emotional core of the film,” the distributor added.

To break even, Retro must generate around Rs 9 crore in the Telugu states alone. Given the modest opening, the pressure is now on the film to pick up significantly over the weekend. "If the collections don’t see a sharp rise, recovery will be tough, especially considering the high theatrical price it fetched," he warned.

The lukewarm response has raised concerns about Suriya’s current script choices. “After back-to-back setbacks, it's clear that Suriya needs to be more cautious with his projects if he hopes to reclaim his past box office glory,” the distributor concluded.