In Thoothukudi, the biggest don is Joju George. Due to being childless, he adopts Suriya according to his wife's wishes. Like his father, Suriya eventually becomes a major don himself.
As he approaches 35 years of age, Suriya tries to leave his rowdy life behind at the loving command of his girlfriend Pooja. During this time, Joju and Prakash Raj ask him about the secret of the golden fish in his possession, but when he refuses to reveal it, conflict erupts between father and son. Meanwhile, the story extends to Suriya searching for his lover in the Andaman Islands.
What happened after that? Did he become a don again? Did he remain peaceful for his love? Did he transform into Buddha through laughter, or did he take up weapons and become like Krishna? That's the rest of the story...
Like in the movie "Ayan," Suriya appears in various getups and delivers intensely. He has built up his physique for the action scenes, adding strength to "Retro." Suriya is smart in scenes where he remains serious until the interval and then gradually transitions to a smiling face.
Pooja Hegde appears in a never-before-seen homely character. With compassion in her eyes and youthfulness on her lips, she captivates.
Malayalam actor Joju George plays the villain, reaching great heights in his performance just like his physical stature. They could have added more strength to Prakash Raj's character who fights for the golden fish. Jayaram as a laughing doctor and other villain actors have added interest to the film. Shriya comes for just one song, dances, and leaves after exciting the youngsters. Is Karthik Subbaraj using his company artists like Ranjith's film company? Karunakaran, Gajaraj, Muthukumar, and others are also part of it.
The art direction was handled by Jackie and Mayapandi. Subir has taken care of costume design.
The retro film is set from the 1960s through 1993 and 1998. Therefore, the costume design and artwork are all wonderful. The clothing design, vintage objects, and appropriate lighting are all given a grand treatment.
In Santhosh Narayanan's music, the "Kanima" song is excellent. With dialogue scenes interspersed throughout the song, "Kanima" makes you dance for a long time. Fans who saw this song earlier in video format might have been disappointed. In the film, there's an explanation for why Suriya appears so serious.
The background scores for Suriya and the villains are awesome.
Shreyas Krishna's cinematography adds extra strength. He brings the scenes from the 1990s right before our eyes. The Andaman scenes are beautifully captured.
Karthik Subbaraj, who started his career directing short films, for some reason continues to make three-hour films. Although flashback scenes are the lifeline of the film, trimming them would have added more excitement to "Retro."
Shafique Mohammed Ali has done the editing. It would be good if he put in the effort to reduce the film's length.
The songs and action scenes filmed in single shots are an extra treat for Suriya fans.
Being a Rajinikanth fan himself, Karthik Subbaraj has also used the "Senorita" song (with copyright permission) to attract Rajini fans as well.
Although the story moves with the usual template - don's life, father-son affection, romance, mother sentiment - the excitement of the first half is missing in the second half.
Overall, Karthik Subbaraj has offered an action feast to Suriya fans through this retro film "Retro
."
