Retro Movie: Do or Die for Suriya's Falling Telugu Market?

Kollywood actor Suriya enjoys one of the biggest fan bases in the Telugu states. The star's following is unprecedented in both AP and Telangana, and it's the best that any Tamil star currently enjoys. Even the likes of Vijay, Ajith, and Sivakarthikeyan don't enjoy the adoration that Suriya enjoys among Telugu audiences.

Right from the early 2000s, Suriya ensured that he took utmost care of the dubbing of his movies in Telugu, and with Ghajini, Suriya fandom here had gone to a whole new level. However, his recent movie releases in AP and Telangana have not yielded the same positive results.

Barring that little cameo in Vikram, Suriya didn't really have a box-office hit in so long. This condition applies to the Tamil Nadu box office as well. Two excellent films of his—Jai Bhim and Soorarai Pottru—went for a direct-to-OTT release. Fans were disappointed that the films weren't released in theaters, even though they were praised and Suriya's performances were lauded.

Even his last release, Kanguva, which had giant hype, ended up being a box-office dud. The high production cost of the film contrasted sharply with its disappointing box-office performance. Suriya, who is in illicit search of a hit, later teamed up with the talented Karthik Subbaraj for his next.

Karthik is known for showcasing his heroes in a unique way that appeals to their massive fan bases, and he is one of the most technically sound filmmakers in the South right now. Be it Petta or Mahaan, Karthik's heroes exude swagger. Suriya's fans were elated when the announcement became official, and the film's trailer exceeded their expectations.

The gangster action genre is Karthik Subbaraj's forte, and he typically weaves in philosophy while tackling violence. The retro trailer looks exactly the same, and while the film got appreciation from Tamil audiences, the same can't really be said about the Telugu audiences.

Of late, there haven't been too many Tamil films that made their mark in the Telugu market with their dubbed versions. Suriya needs to ensure Retro appeals to the Telugu audience. Even though the trailer is brilliant, if it fails to reach the target audiences, the efforts will go in vain.

Pooja Hegde's return to the Telugu states is a positive development for Suriya. Pooja, who is looking for unique roles to play and not just be a glam doll anymore, signed up for the project, and her role has been well-received since its first reveal. With her humongous fan base in the Telugu states, Pooja can actually help Retro reach the masses.

The actress has been doing the same by promoting Retro with the super-hit song "Kanima." The actress' dance steps in the song have turned out to be instantly famous, and they have been making the rounds on Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts every day.

It remains to be seen if Suriya plans to promote Retro in Telugu separately, just like he did for Kanguva. More than Kanguva, Retro's working out in Telugu is highly crucial for Suriya, and the promotional material so far has shown extreme promise. We will have to wait and see if Retro truly transforms the actor's box office in Telangana and AP.