Retro movie plot:

Paarivel Kannan (Suriya) is the adopted son of gangster Thilagan (Joju George), who loathes and sees him only as good enough to be his henchman. But when Paari decides to reform from his hooliganism, to start a new life with his lover Rukmini (Pooja Hegde), his violent ways do not let him go in peace, especially after he refuses to reveal the place of the last consignment delivery assignment he does for Thilagan.

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Retro movie review:

What if Karthik Subbaraj (who made a smashing debut with Pizza) makes his star padam with Suriya, that borrows the shades of his previous film Jigarthanda Double X, adds tints of subtle references of the actor, without missing out on his usual quirks and eccentricity, not to forget the oppressed versus oppressor battle that is staged amid a gangster’s life? A little too much to take? But Karthik Subbaraj makes a somewhat coherent film that is extremely indulgent but interesting. That is pretty much Retro in short for you. It is not everyone’s cup of tea, but Karthik Subbaraj does something. We will get there in some time.

Love. War. Laughter. – is the running theme of Retro, and Karthik Subbaraj (Petta, Mercury ) makes the most use of the last concept, laughter, to make it the standout feature. But it takes a really long time to come to that. It revolves around this, Suriya’s Paarivel Kannan is built. Paarivel is named thus because he carries the birthmark of the divine spear weapon on his abdomen. A foster son of Thilagan who does not consider him as anything more than his handyman, we are told Paari cannot smile or laugh ever since witnessing the trauma of his parent’s death. After his foster mother’s death, the face tightens and there is nothing more for Paari to look forward to than being with Rukmini. When we first see Paari smile as he rides a bike with Rukmini, we, as an audience, are inevitably reminded of Suriya, the actor known for his smile. 

Karthik Subbaraj does not go all out while jumping into the bandwagon of referencing star moments. Vel is crucial in Paari’s life, and we know why the violence-loving Thilagan first acknowledges him as his son only after the latter brutally fights hooligans in a moving train. Thilagan calls Paari as his ‘Irumbhu Kai Paari’ (Iron Hand Paari), inevitably reminding me of the actor’s unannounced project. But let’s move past that, and Retro becomes the love story of the star-crossed; the lovers being Suriya and Karthik Subbaraj, who go hand in hand to make Retro stand out.

Honestly, Retro’s beginning has a slow pace, and it is that 15-minute single-shot sequence (which Suriya called his favourite) that nearly carries the first half. There is a song, the famous Kanimaa one, drama, a near-death incident, a conflict, fights, and fleeing. Cinematographer Shreyaas Krishnan does a beautiful job, and the single shot really makes you get on your feet to keep up with the happenings of the story. But leaving this, Retro’s pace at the beginning is low and underwhelming.

And as the second half begins, the main conflicts set in, and how a violence-loving Paari is unable to leave it for his lover, with destiny taking him to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This is exactly where Karthik Subbaraj gets super indulgent. Retro witnesses a new set of antagonists, a cult following dictatorship rule, which subjugates the people of the land in the most violent ways. 

Without getting into the specifics, Karthik Subbaraj makes a strong case on how he could have retold his Jigarthanda Double X, had he had a star like Suriya and how it is a story that can be told again and again, and yet feel the pain afresh. Without having to give spoilers, all that I can say is how Retro feels spiritually the second instalment of Jigarthanda Double X with its uncanny similarity, but makes a beautiful segway with laughter as its weapon. While there is no shortage of bloodbath and violence, Retro, however, states that laughter is the highest form of weaponry that can be used to put down your oppressor to place. The pre-climax and climax tie the knots that were tangled in the beginning, and laughter comes back like a karma; not to forget, how Jayaram’s laughing therapist Chaplin Lolly aids Suriya in bridging the gap between Rukmini and the island folks.

Suriya goes all out to live Paari, and you can see it in how the actor breaks all his onscreen rules, smoking in abundance. But coming to Pooja Hegde, the Beast actor makes sure she steals the thunder during the Kanimaa song, only to be then relegated to that heroine role who wants the hero to leave violence. But having said that, Retro is not an out-and-out love story of a gangster, but rather a story of a violent man with a dash of romance.

Retro movie verdict

Retro is a film that cannot be categorically slotted as good or bad, for it is a film that carries a particular taste and aesthetics. You like (or not) depending on it. Karthik Subbaraj strongly brings the flavour of his last feature, and you are confused if the story of Retro is just set in a different milieu. But with some eccentricity and departures (that nevertheless seem a lot to take in), Retro is a different attempt.