The box office saw fireworks on May Day 2025, not from a pan-India juggernaut or mega multistarrer—but from a stylish and bold romantic action drama, ‘Retro,’ featuring Suriya and Pooja Hegde. Karthik Subbaraj, the man always known for experiments, helmed the movie which stormed the theaters and straight into the record books. With a earth-shattering opening of ₹19.25 crore net in India, Retro has become Suriya’s second-largest opener ever and the third-highest opening of 2025 in Tamil cinema till date.
The word was loud, the release timely, and the content did not disappoint. And as the dust settles after Day 1’s box office frenzy, one thing is certain — Retro is not just nostalgia; it’s a revolution in real-time.
Retro Rules May Day With ₹22.71 Cr Gross Total
Released on the 1st of May, a public holiday in India, Retro took astute advantage of the festive traffic. As per initial estimates provided by Sacnilk, the movie raked in ₹19.25 crores net on day one at the box office in India. Calculated inclusive of taxes, the gross collection is high at ₹22.71 crores.
The Tamil version alone brought in almost 90% of the revenue, with the rest coming from Telugu and Hindi dubbed versions. Fans from all over Tamil Nadu swarmed cinema halls, particularly in urban cities such as Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Trichy, where ticket sales were houseful during the day.
The movie also did well in metros such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai, which accounted for a major portion of the non-Tamil collections. In most theatres, additional night shows were scheduled because of huge demand—a clear indication that Retro struck the right note with its audience.
Suriya Scores Second-Highest Career Opening
While Kanguva retains the record for Suriya’s biggest-ever opening with ₹24 crore net, Retro now stands tall at number two in his storied career. While Kanguva benefited from the huge pre-release hype and greater reach, Retro’s success comes from the content-driven hype and word-of-mouth anticipation, strengthened by the brand value of director Karthik Subbaraj and Suriya’s die-hard fanbase.
This is especially noteworthy as it arrived at a time when Tamil cinema has not had stable box office winners in 2025. In the midst of that uncertainty, Retro has kindled hope for theater triumphs spearheaded by good storytelling and not merely commercial formulae.
Retro Crushes Competition, Beats HIT 3 and Dragon
Retro not only became a milestone for Suriya personally but also beat out a number of other high-profile 2025 releases. It surpassed the opening day collections of Telugu film HIT 3, Tamil action fantasy Dragon (₹5.4 crore), and other big-ticket films like Veera Dheera Sooran and Madha Gaja Raja.
Here’s a brief glance at the Top 5 Tamil Openers of 2025 so far:
- Good Bad Ugly – ₹28.15 crore
- Vidaamuyarchi – ₹25.50 crore
- Retro – ₹19.25 crore
- Dragon – ₹5.40 crore
- Madha Gaja Raja – ₹3.00 crore
Within a single day, Retro became a leader in the race of Tamil movies this year and left behind films with larger budgets and star cast behind.
Retro’s Winning Formula: Mass Meets Class
So what was so special about Retro?
The narrative of the film is a mix of romantic nostalgia, stylized action, and intense drama—a Karthik Subbaraj trademark that always surprises. Suriya’s performance is being talked about as one of his most mature and intense in recent years. His retro-inspired avatar, emotionally charged performance, and slick action sequences created an instant connect among both urban and rural viewers.
Pooja Hegde, strong return to Tamil cinema after all these years, also wowed audiences with her confident screen presence and on-screen chemistry with Suriya. Santhosh Narayanan’s music and atmospheric camerawork heightened the experience, with tight cuts that kept the audience invested for the duration of the film.
Critics and audiences alike have lauded the film for its new narrative approach, blending commercial cinema with art-house storytelling—a signature of Subbaraj’s direction. Strong word-of-mouth on social media has only contributed to its already raging box office success.
Weekend Forecast: ₹60 Crore Gross in Sight
With such a stupendous Day 1 performance, everyone is now waiting for Retro’s weekend releases. The movie will be performing even better on Saturday and Sunday as family audiences, youth crowds, and working professionals throng cinemas.
Trade pundits are forecasting a ₹55–₹60 crore gross collection towards the end of the opening weekend, which will make Retro not only one of the biggest openers of 2025 to date, but also possibly a long-term blockbusters if it holds on throughout weekdays.
Early international reports also suggest a good response in UAE, Malaysia, and Singapore, markets where Suriya has a huge fan base. If international numbers continue to be good, Retro can easily cross the ₹100 crore worldwide mark in its first week.
Read Also :- Nani Creates History Again: Scores Another Double-Digit Opening in Telugu States with HIT 3
Retro Redefines the Tamil Box Office Playbook
More than mere figures, Retro’s Day 1 success also indicates a change in Tamil cinema’s box office polarity. At a time when the big-budget films have all failed to register, Retro indicates that it is possible to attract people to the theatres with crunched storytelling, creativity of vision, and a dedicated star.
Suriya has once again demonstrated his versatility, and Karthik Subbaraj’s creative gambles have been richly rewarded. Retro is not just a movie—it’s a testament to the fact that commercial films can still be daring, innovative, and emotionally resonant.
As Retro keeps playing, the Tamil film industry and its enthusiasts have one more reason to rejoice this year.
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