In the last 5+ years, actor Suriya has had two theatrical releases—Kanguva (2024), and Etharkkum Thunindhavan (2022), both of which have been disasters both critically, and commercially.  On the contrary, Suriya's direct OTT releases—be it the fan-favourite Soorarai Pottru (2020) or the socially relevant Jai Bhim (2021)—have both left an indelible mark in the hearts and minds of not just the Tamil, but the PAN Indian movie audience. 

Even the Kamal Haasan starrer Vikram (2022) which has a 4-minute cameo by Suriya, left such a lasting impression with the theater audience, that Suriya's presence in the movie is also alluded as one of the main reasons the movie did well at the box-office. Suffice to say, Suriya still enjoys a red-carpet welcome, be it with the Tamil audience, or on the big screens. 

Suriya is currently gearing up for the release of his next theatrical release Retro, which premieres worldwide on May 1, 2025. The movie is a home production for Suriya, alongside backing by Stone Bench Films, the production banner of Retro writer, director Karthik Subbaraj. Retro SWOT Analysis follows:

Strengths

1. Suriya-Karthik Subbaraj

Despite coming on the heels of a much criticized film like Kanguva (2024), the buzz about Retro has always been positive. This is mainly because of the fresh collaboration between Suriya, and Karthik Subbaraj. The Suriya-Karthik Subbaraj duo is collaborating for the first time, and the actor-director's synergy of acclaimed talents, is the biggest strength of Retro.

2. Subject

Retro's subject is another aspect that garnered attention right from the get go. It was evident that the makers were attempting something unusual for Suriya—be it with the period theme, or Suriya's non contemporary look.

Retro's tagline 'Love Laughter War', Karthik Subbaraj stating that Retro is as much a romance movie as action, reminiscences of Mahaan (2022), and Jagame Thandhiram (2021)—Karthik Subbaraj's direct OTT releases, and Srilanka's Tamil refugees situation, collectively appeal to our viewer senses. 

3. Santhosh Narayanan

By Suriya's own admission, Retro with music by Santhosh Naryanan is the actor's first album hit in a long time. All six Retro songs are earworms, and appeal to a variety of musical tastes. 

4. PAN Indian promotions

Not only has team Retro ensured early promotions of Retro in Tamil Nadu, but Suriya & co. have in person reached Hyderabad, Trivandrum, and Mumbai to promote Retro's release in Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi. Safe to say, Retro makers have managed to generate buzz outside Tamil Nadu as well. 

5. Overseas Premiere

One of the biggest drawbacks for Suriya's last release Kanguva was the movie premiering atleast 6 hours ahead of its Tamil Nadu 9 AM shows, in overseas locations. This meant that even before Kanguva ran its first screening in Tamil Nadu, the brickbats had already filled social media. 

Team Suriya has wisened up, and Retro's USA premiere now aligns with Retro's first show in Tamil Nadu.

6. Pooja Hegde

Retro also sees the first time pairing of Suriya and Pooja Hegde, and promotional material released so far indicates that the 'Paari-Rukku' chemistry is something to look forward to. Pooja and her dance have their own fan-base, and the actress has gotten them interested in Retro, with her viral Kanimaa steps.

7. Others

• Be it with Shreyaas Krishna's cinematography, or Kecha Khamphakdee's 20 action scenes, the highest in Suriya's career, Retro sounds technically promising. 

• Retro's ensemble is the right mix of powerful performers—Jayaram, Joju George, Prakash Raj, Nasser, new talents—Vidhu, Swasika, and nostalgia—Shriya Saran (dance cameo). 

• Not much is known about Retro's plotline. The Retro teasers and trailers not revealing much is a big plus for the movie. 

Weakness

• At the outset, Retro doesn't have a weakness that could be pin-pointed. This could mainly be attributed to director Karthik Subbaraj, who is only Tamil filmmaker who has perfected the knack of handling the niche while still appealing to the 'family audience', as witnessed in the case of all his movies from Pizza (2012), Jigarthanda (2014), to Iraivi (2016), Petta (2019), and even Jagame Thandhiram (2021), Mahaan (2022). 

Opportunities

• Retro is releasing on International workers' day, known as Labourer's Day in India. This gives the movie a four-day opening in its home turf. 

• A wide release in motion for Retro in multiple overseas locations like the USA, UK, Europe, and other other Asian regions. Bookings opened well in advance for Retro, and the trend suggests that Suriya is gearing up for a big opening globally.  

Threats

• Retro is releasing alongside a light-hearted entertainer titled Tourist Family on May 1, 2025. Besides the splitting of the theater screens, Tourist Family poses the threat of attracting the family audience, with its full fledged-family friendly theme.