Karthik Subbaraj redefines romance in Retro, starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde

Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj, best known for cult hits like Jigarthanda and Pizza, is venturing into new emotional territory with his upcoming film Retro, starring Suriya.

“People usually expect crime, thrillers, or dark comedies from me,” Subbaraj admitted. “But Retro is a love story. That’s what it is at its heart.” Set against the backdrop of the 1990s, Retro blends nostalgia, stylised visuals, and bursts of action, but its soul, the director insists, lies in its exploration of love.

“Even in my earlier films, I’ve always embedded a personal, emotional core,” he explained. “This time, I wanted romance to be the driving force—not just romantic love between a man and a woman, but love as a catalyst for transformation.”

Suriya plays a former gangster trying to leave behind a violent past. His journey toward emotional awakening begins when he falls in love—leading not to redemption in the conventional sense, but to a deep internal reckoning.

“It’s about a man who has never known peace until someone shows him it's possible,” Subbaraj said. “That space between who he was and who he hopes to become—that’s where the romance lives.”

Bringing romance to the forefront in a gritty, stylised world posed its own challenges. “Action can be made to look cool. But making love feel authentic, especially in a world like this—that takes effort. You have to earn those moments,” he added.

On working with Suriya and Pooja Hegde, the film’s leads, Subbaraj said, “It’s in the silences, the glances, the restraint. Their chemistry isn’t loud—it’s subtle and lived-in.”

“At the end of the day, style might grab you, but it’s the emotion that stays. And in Retro, that emotion is love.”

Retro, a romantic action drama, has been filmed across scenic locations including the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Ooty, Kerala, and Chennai. The film is slated for a worldwide release on May 1.