"My Films Are Personal": Karthik Subbaraj on 'Retro' and Tamil Cinema | InFocus | THR India

In this captivating episode of "InFocus" on The Hollywood Reporter India, acclaimed film critic Anupama Chopra sits down with visionary Tamil filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj at the prestigious Leela Palace in Chennai. The conversation delves deep into Kartthik Subbaraj's latest directorial venture "Retro," exploring the film's ambitious genre-blending narrative, remarkable 15-minute single-shot sequence featuring Suriya, and the director's creative process in crafting complex characters like Paari and Rukmini. Karthik shares fascinating insights about working with Suriya, including how they dedicated an assistant director just to monitor if the actor accidentally smiled during takes. The interview reveals Karthik Subbaraj's distinctive filmmaking philosophy as he discusses his preference for writing over directing, his approach to dark humor, and his creative journey from "Mahaan" to "Jigarthanda DoubleX" and now "Retro." Anupama's thoughtful questions draw out Karthik's reflections on his artistic choices, including setting portions of the film in Thoothukudi, his collaboration with legendary director Shankar, and his future aspirations to create an independent film aimed at film festivals rather than commercial success. 00:00 Suriya's unique challenge: not smiling while filming 02:07 The spectacular 15-minute single-shot sequence 03:34 Making bold creative choices in "Retro" 07:31 Suriya's reaction to the challenging single-shot idea 10:30 Adapting to unexpected rain during the crucial shoot 12:25 The film's evolution from love story to cult narrative 15:13 Karthik's scriptwriting process with Suriya 16:45 Directing Suriya to maintain his non-smiling character 21:12 Pooja Hegde's surprising depth in her performance 22:05 Karthik on his love for mixing multiple film genres 25:09 Response to criticism about "too many things" in the film 27:58 The signature dark humor in Karthik's films 31:01 Working on "Game Changer" with director Shankar 33:18 Writing versus directing: which Karthik prefers 39:14 Karthik's perspective on success and failure 41:40 Plans for making an independent festival film #KarthikSubbaraj #RetroFilm #TamilCinema