Karthik Subbaraj on the ‘Retro’ Single-Take Sequence and Making an Indie Film

The ace filmmaker hopes he can direct an independent film as his next feature

Team THR India
By Team THR India
LAST UPDATED: MAY 08, 2025, 15:46 IST|5 min read
Karthik SubbarajThe Hollywood Reporter India

Karthik Subbaraj and Suriya’s Retro could be getting mixed reviews, but the one aspect of the film that’s been getting unanimous credit is its irresistibly-shot Kanimaa sequence. The Santhosh Narayanan song is the anchor of a major moment in Retro, one where the lives of Pari (Suriya) and Rukmini (Pooja Hegde) get upturned at a wedding hall. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the filmmaker spoke about why he chose to film the pivotal 15-minute sequence as a single shot.

The sequence wasn’t originally meant to be a one-take, the filmmaker said. “It was just supposed to be a wedding reception song, where the dad and gang dance along with Pari, pretending like everything was normal. And after the song, when people would get ready for the next day, he’d call Pari for a drink and have the confrontation. That’s how the initial draft went. But as I started writing many drafts, I realised all the ideas had a wild edge. So I thought why not go full on,” the director said. 

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The single-shot technique turned out to be a good choice to sustain the film’s wild quality. “I wanted to make sure people were entertained while watching it. I wanted the craziness to be maintained. My team also felt it was a good challenge to take on, and the song was planned as such. I told Santhosh to give me a five-minute song, but told him to make sure that I could break the song so that the hero walks away and comes back.”

The song also involved a lot of planning with the stunt and dance choreographers (Kecha Khamphakdee and M Sherif) to map the location and firm the idea through tech rehearsals. The team achieved the sequence in three takes, he reveals. But how did Suriya react to the idea? “He smiled first and asked how I came up with the idea. He was excited. Joju was the only one who was so scared. He used to memorise all his lines and used to do many takes.”

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The ace filmmaker, who has been delivering a film almost every year since 2014, hopes he can direct an independent film as his next feature. “After Jigarthanda Double X (2023), I wanted to make an independent film and send it to festivals and release it in theatres after a year. I have a script ready for it, but then Retro happened. It is a small budget film that does not need stars or known actors. I want to see the other side of cinema.”

Watch the full interview here:

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