Here’s how the unit of Retro took a shot of Suriya for his birthday video without his knowledge!

Chennai: The makers of director Karthik Subbaraj’s upcoming action extravaganza ‘Retro’ have now released a third episode in their popular comic series, on how the unit planned and got a special shot of Suriya without his knowledge.

The shot was to be used for a video to greet Suriya on his birthday!

It may be recalled that the unit of director Karthik Subbaraj’s eagerly awaited film Retro had announced that they would narrate some funny behind the scenes stories that occurred on the sets of the film, but through comic strips!

As part of this series, the unit has now released the third episode titled, ‘A SWEET SURPRISE FOR SURIYA SIR!’.

Published by director Karthik Subbaraj’s production house Stone Bench Productions on their X timeline, the episode begins with the last day of the Andaman schedule that the makers disclosed was packed with work and a secret plan.

“While one part of the team focused on wrapping up the shoot, Karthik Subbaraj and DOP Shreyas had something special in mind—a surprise shot for Suriya sir’s birthday special video! But keeping it under wraps was the real challenge. With the direction team running around, one person whispered, “How do we keep this from sir?

Another sighed, “Suriya sir is too sharp, he’ll figure it out!,” the makers said.

The makers disclosed that the unit members went the extra mile to distract Suriya’s assistant, just in case.

“Amidst all this, Karthik had a wild idea—why not set up a grand entry shot for Suriya sir? Shreyas took it as a challenge and planned an intense focus shift. He zoomed in to the maximum, fixed a point where everything blurred out for a moment, and then snapped into sharp focus—making Suriya sir’s entry look even more powerful,” the production house disclosed.

However, just when the unit thought they had it under control, Suriya sensed something was off. “Karthik Subbaraj always sticks to the script… why this extra shot now?” he asked the unit with suspicion.

However, the team seems to have lulled his suspicions with a suitable reply.

“Without missing a beat, Karthik casually replied, “It’s a new addition, sir. You’ll love it!” And just like that, the scene unfolded—blood stains, a gun handover, a devilish smile, and BANG! Suriya sir was thrilled. The surprise shot and the madness—it all came together perfectly for THE ONE. Karthik pulled it off so smoothly, without giving anything away, and the team’s efforts paid off in the best way possible. A fitting end to an unforgettable schedule!,” the makers explained.

Retro will feature Suriya and Pooja Hegde in the lead. Apart from Suriya and Pooja Hegde, the film will feature a host of stars including Malayalam actors Joju George and Jayaram and Tamil actor Karunakaran.

Music for the film will be by Santhosh Narayanan and cinematography by Shreyaas Krishna. Editing is being handled by Shafique Mohamed Ali and art direction by Jacki, Mayapandi. The film, which will be high on action, will have stunts by Kecha Khamphakdee.

–IANS