Box Office Clash: Suriya’s ‘Retro’ Off to a flying start, edges past Nani’s ‘HIT 3’ on day 1
Box Office Clash: Suriya’s ‘Retro’ Off to a flying start, edges past Nani’s ‘HIT 3’ on day 1
The summer box office kicked off with a bang as two major South Indian films—Suriya’s Retro and Nani’s HIT 3—hit theatres on May 1. The opening day witnessed packed theatres and enthusiastic fans, especially in Chennai and Hyderabad.
Retro Dominates Chennai Box Office on Day 1
Suriya’s Retro, directed by Karthik Subbaraj and co-starring Pooja Hegde, made a thunderous start in Tamil Nadu. Early estimates from industry tracker Sacnilk suggest that the film raked in ₹13.22 crore across all languages just from its morning and afternoon shows. With final collections still being compiled, Retro is well-positioned to double that number by the end of day.
The film recorded an impressive 79.91% occupancy among Tamil audiences, with Chennai emerging as a stronghold—hosting 924 shows, the highest for any region.
HIT 3 Holds Strong in Hyderabad
While Retro took over Chennai, Nani’s HIT 3 drew larger crowds in Hyderabad. The Telugu investigative thriller directed by Sailesh Kolanu posted day 1 earnings of ₹11.96 crore, maintaining 85.97% occupancy among Telugu viewers. However, it only had 69 shows in Chennai, which limited its presence in Tamil Nadu, where its occupancy stood at 47.08%.
Language-Wise Showdown
In Tamil regions, Retro clearly led the race with a far wider release and stronger turnout.
In Telugu regions, HIT 3 was the preferred choice, dominating screens and attendance.
Star Power and Ensemble Casts
Retro brings together a powerful cast with Jayaram, Joju George, Karunakaran, Nassar, and Prakash Raj. Shriya Saran also makes a surprise cameo. It marks the first-ever collaboration between director Karthik Subbaraj and Suriya.
Meanwhile, HIT 3 continues the franchise under the Wall Poster Cinema and Unanimous Productions banners, with notable performances from Adil Pala, Rao Ramesh, Brahmaji, and Maganti Srinath.
As the weekend approaches, it remains to be seen whether Retro will sustain its momentum or if HIT 3 can close the gap.
