Filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj directs Tamil superstar Suriya for the first time in Retro, a period gangster action film that hit theatres on May 1, 2025. Co-produced by Suriya and his wife Jyotika under their banner 2D Entertainment, the movie opened strongly at the box office and maintained decent collections over its first weekend. However, both critical reviews and audience responses remained mixed. Retro stars Suriya alongside Pooja Hegde, Jayaram, Joju George, Nassar, Vidhu, Prakash Raj, and Swasika in pivotal roles. ‘Retro’ Movie Review: Suriya Excels in Karthik Subbaraj’s Visually Striking Gangster Drama Undone by a Bloated Second Half.

Despite the promising start, Retro failed to sustain its momentum beyond the opening weekend. Yet, according to the makers, the film has grossed INR 235 crore worldwide - a figure that would typically warrant celebration for Suriya fans, as the actor has been going through a lean phase at the box office for the past few years.

'Retro' Grossed INR 235 Crore Worldwide?

But is this truly the case?

The Budget of 'Retro'

Pre-release reports estimated Retro’s budget at INR 160 crore. However, post-release claims now peg it at INR 65 crore - though it remains unclear whether this figure includes only production costs or also accounts for advertising, PR, and distribution expenses.

Of course, the pertinent point here is that the makers have officially confirmed neither of the numbers.

Box Office Performance of 'Retro'

If the makers’ claims of a INR 235 crore gross on a INR 65 crore budget were accurate, Retro would undoubtedly qualify as a major hit. However, doubts persist regarding both the budget and the box office figures.

According to box office tracking site Sacnilk, Retro’s worldwide gross stands at INR 96.97 crore at the time of writing. So, where does the INR 235 crore figure come from? 'Retro' Box Office: Suriya Film Grosses INR 235 Crore Globally, Makers 2D Entertainment Thank Audiences, Say 'It's All Because of You'.

The answer lies in the fine print of the producers’ poster, which specifies "theatrical and non-theatrical" revenues.

Fine Print in Retro Success Poster

This suggests the total includes not just box office collections but also ancillary earnings from satellite rights, TV deals, and distribution revenues. The exact breakdown of these non-theatrical earnings, however, remains known only to the producers.

This practice of sharing such numbers isn’t isolated to Retro. The makers of the Malayalam film L2: Empuraan similarly claimed a INR 325 crore worldwide gross on social media, though the fine print clarified this as "theatrical and business" revenue. Actual box office collections for Empuraan were reported at INR 266.71 crore. The question to be asked though -  should producers continue conflating theatrical and ancillary revenues to declare a film’s success?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 19, 2025 09:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).