Retro: Not Suriya, director Karthik Subbaraj had THIS big actor in his mind while writing script; know here

Suriya and Pooja Hegde’s Retro is gearing up to be one of 2025’s biggest releases. With its theatrical arrival locked for May 1, the buzz around the film is louder than ever. But here’s an unexpected twist—director Karthik Subbaraj recently revealed that the film’s script was originally crafted for none other than Superstar Rajinikanth.

Karthik Subbaraj clarified that the script for Retro was never meant for Thalapathy Vijay, as speculated by some. He shared that he had originally written the story with Rajinikanth in mind, and the initial version leaned heavily into the action genre to suit Rajinikanth’s iconic image. 

However, after narrating it to Suriya, the story evolved into a romantic drama. Interestingly, even Suriya asked Karthik if he had first pitched the script to Rajinikanth.

“This story was not written for Thalapathy Vijay sir, as being speculated. I wrote this script keeping in mind Thalaivar. Initially, it was more in the action zone to suit Thalaivar’s image. After narrating it to Suriya sir, it was changed to a love story. Even Suriya sir asked me if I narrated the script to Rajinikanth sir,” said Karthik Subbaraj.

Retro follows Parivel Kannan, a man on a mission to find his lost love, Rukmini. It shows the obstacles he faces in his search and the emotional journey that unfolds.

Directed and written by Karthik Subbaraj, this romantic action film was originally titled Suriya 44. The movie features an ensemble cast with Suriya, Pooja Hegde, Karunakaran, Nassar, Prakash Raj, Joju George, Jayaram, Sujith Shankar, and Singampuli in key roles. Shriya Saran makes a cameo appearance in the film.

Coming to Rajinikanth’s work front, he will next be seen in Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie. The movie will also feature Nagarjuna, Shruti Haasan, Upendra and Soubin Shahir in prominent roles. Currently, Thalaivar is busy shooting for Jailer 2 with Nelson Dilipkumar and several others. Details about the film are currently under wraps by the makers.

For more updates, stay tuned to Pinkvilla!

ALSO READ: Retro: Release date, certification, plot, runtime, and cast; everything to know about Suriya and Pooja Hegde starrer