Suriya’s ‘Retro’ Dominates Chennai Box Office on Opening Day, Surpasses Nani’s ‘HIT 3’
Suriya’s highly anticipated action-drama ‘Retro’ has taken a phenomenal start at the box office, particularly in Chennai, on its opening day, Thursday, May 1st. The film, directed by Karthik Subbaraj, has reportedly registered massive footfalls in the Tamil Nadu capital, outperforming Nani’s latest thriller, ‘HIT: The Third Case’. According to early estimates from trade analysts, ‘Retro’ has raked in an impressive ₹19.25 crore net across India on its opening day. A significant portion of this collection, a staggering ₹17.25 crore, comes from the Tamil Nadu market, highlighting Suriya’s strong fan base and the film’s pre-release buzz in the state. Chennai, in particular, witnessed an exceptional response, with an overall Tamil occupancy of 87.25% across a high number of shows (around 517). Many shows in the city ran close to full capacity, especially during the afternoon and evening. In comparison, Nani’s ‘HIT: The Third Case’ has also had a strong opening day, collecting an estimated ₹18 crore net across India. While the Telugu film dominated the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana market with ₹17.25 crore, its performance in the Tamil Nadu region, including Chennai, was considerably lower at around ₹0.35 crore. This clearly indicates the strong preference of the Chennai audience for Suriya’s ‘Retro’ on its opening day. ‘Retro’ marks the first collaboration between Suriya and the acclaimed director Karthik Subbaraj, adding to the anticipation surrounding the film. The movie, which also stars Pooja Hegde in a significant role, is a blend of action, drama, and romance, with Suriya portraying a local gangster. Initial reports suggest that the film has been well-received by the audience, with praise directed towards Suriya’s performance and Subbaraj’s directorial style, including a much-talked-about 15-minute single-shot sequence. While ‘Retro’ has clearly taken the lead on its opening day in Chennai and Tamil Nadu overall, both films have shown strong performances in their respective home territories. It remains to be seen how both films fare over the extended weekend and in the long run, especially with mixed reviews for ‘Retro’ suggesting that its sustainability will depend on word-of-mouth. The strong opening of both ‘Retro’ and ‘HIT: The Third Case’ indicates a positive trend for the South Indian film industry, with audiences returning to theaters in large numbers for compelling stories and star power. For now, Suriya and ‘Retro’ can celebrate a dominant opening day in Chennai, setting a positive tone for its box office journey.