'Karuppu' storms theatres after financial hurdles: Revisiting Suriya’s last five box office hits and flops

Following a delay, 'Karuppu' released in theatres on May 14 amid huge expectations, leading fans to look back at Suriya’s recent theatrical journey. Over the last few years, the actor has experimented with different genres, from political dramas to fantasy action films. While some movies became solid hits, a few failed to meet box office expectations. Here is a special revisit to the box office verdicts of Suriya’s last five theatrical releases before ‘Karuppu’.

'NGK' was released in 2019 and created massive hype because it marked Suriya’s first collaboration with director Selvaraghavan. In the film, Suriya played Nandha Gopalan Kumaran, a man who enters politics to fight corruption and injustice. The movie opened strongly but received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Due to its huge budget and sharp drop in collections after the opening weekend, the film ended with a flop verdict at the box office.

Later in 2019, Suriya returned with 'Kaappaan,' directed by K. V. Anand and co-starring Mohanlal. Suriya played a special protection officer in this action thriller packed with political twists and commercial elements. The film collected decent worldwide numbers and had a good opening because of the star cast. However, due to its high production cost and average word of mouth, the movie was considered a below-average performer commercially.

'Etharkkum Thunindhavan' marked Suriya’s return to theatres after his acclaimed OTT releases 'Soorarai Pottru' and 'Jai Bhim.' Pandiraj directed the social thriller, in which Suriya played a courageous lawyer who struggled against acts of violence committed against women. This movie was well-received by families and enjoyed considerable success in Tamil Nadu. It grossed impressive worldwide numbers and was widely considered a commercial success for both Suriya and the makers.

'Kanguva' was one of the biggest and most expensive films in Suriya’s career. Directed by Siva, the fantasy action film showed Suriya in a fierce warrior avatar across multiple timelines. Despite strong pre-release hype and a powerful opening day, the movie received negative reviews for its screenplay and execution. Made on a massive budget, the film failed to recover costs and eventually became one of the biggest box office disasters in Suriya’s career.

'Retro' gave Suriya a much-needed commercial comeback in 2025. The dramatic film was liked by many for its emotional plot, impressive presentation, and active performance by Suriya. The movie received good reviews for its first part and technical elements, but it also turned out to be commercially successful worldwide. While initial concerns existed about the extended run of this project, it turned out to be very successful and lucrative.