Director Karthik Subbaraj has confirmed that his next venture could be an independent film, marking a shift from his recent big-budget projects like Retro. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Subbaraj revealed his longstanding desire to create a low-budget, festival-focused indie film that doesn’t rely on star power. He emphasized that this upcoming project will feature new, lesser-known artists and is aimed more at creative expression than box office expectations.
He explained that while Retro, starring Suriya and Pooja Hegde, was a passion project told in his distinctive style, it carried the weight of commercial expectations due to its big budget and star cast. In contrast, the indie film he’s planning is a long-gestating script that he hopes to produce and circulate through film festivals, potentially with a theatrical release down the line.
Meanwhile, Retro is performing reasonably well at the box office, grossing over ₹80 crore globally despite receiving mixed reviews. The film recently got a boost when superstar Rajinikanth, who previously worked with Subbaraj in Petta, watched it and praised both the film and Suriya’s performance. Karthik even shared a poster featuring Suriya’s character Paari alongside Rajinikanth’s iconic ‘Jhoony’ look, acknowledging the superstar’s appreciation of the movie’s climactic final 40 minutes.
Subbaraj’s move toward indie cinema could mark a refreshing return to his roots, recalling the kind of innovation and creative freedom that shaped his breakout films like Pizza and Jigarthanda.
