Suriya’s Retro Movie: No U.S. Premieres, Burnt by Kanguva Backlash?

The Tamil actor had high expectations for Kanguva and made significant financial investments in its production. Unfortunately, the movie, directed by Siruthai Siva, ended up being a dud at the box office. Not just that, Suriya invited trolls his way for picking the subject, and with the narration being incoherent, it was one of the most forgettable movies from the actor.

Kanguva debuted in the U.S. and received unfavorable reviews before its release in India. Those who watched the movie overseas took to social media to shame it, and there were even speculations of targeted PR against Suriya.

Suriya decided to showcase the movie simultaneously for both domestic and overseas fans as a precautionary measure. The promotional content for Retro sparked giant anticipation for the release. The song Kanimaa was an instant chartbuster. Not just Suriya fans, but movie lovers in general have largely decided to give Retro a try at the movies, thanks to that song.

Even the trailer showed Suriya in multiple avatars, and Karthik Subbaraj has revealed that he has attempted a love story after quite a while in his career. People know the impact that Suriya can create with love stories. They end up leaving a giant mark on a generation of audiences, and Retro has that chance.

For a movie that has everything going for it, playing it safe after Kanguva's debacle by not having U.S. premieres is taking some early advantage off the movie right away. The actor could have trusted the material and the director, Karthik Subbaraj, and gone ahead with the usual U.S. release.

The movie's team didn't also promote the film widely, especially in the Telugu market. Only Pooja Hegde actively stepped up and conducted a series of interviews. Both Suriya and Karthik Subbaraj wanted the movie to speak for itself, and it remains to be seen how well the movie will be received among audiences.