Scene box office day 4: Suriya’s film crosses Rs 150 cr, earns over 4x Ramayana in Tamil

After witnessing the National Award for Best Actor win for Soorarai Pottru and the acclaim for Jai Bhim, both of which were released directly on Amazon Prime Video, Suriya made a decision to depart from the formulaic filmmaking that had dominated his middle period. Instead, he sought out directors whose sensibilities intrigued him, stories that challenged him to explore new territories, and characters that required him to adopt roles different from those the audience anticipated.

The results were brutal. Kanguva, a period fantasy directed by Siva, was intended to be his return to theatrical dominance and establish his presence across India. However, the film faced severe criticism for its writing and narrative structure, despite Suriya’s commendable performance and the film’s visual ambition. Jyotika publicly defended the film against trolling, attributing the backlash to a propaganda effort, but the numbers told a different story.

In contrast, Retro (May 2025), directed by Karthik Subbaraj, presented a more nuanced challenge. In this dual role love-story-war epic, Suriya collaborated with a director who is considered one of Tamil cinema’s most original filmmakers. Though Kanguva’s failure and Retro’s ambiguity resulted in a damaged perception of him as a commercial proposition, these experiences ultimately contributed to the remarkable hat-trick witnessed in 2026.

In 2026, Suriya delivered three Rs 100 crore opening weekends, marking a significant comeback in the industry. His films, Karuppu, Vishwanath and Sons, and Scene, each showcased his versatility and willingness to take risks. While Kanguva and Retro posed unconventional challenges, they ultimately contributed to his growth as an actor.