Pooja Hegde reveals 'Retro' director Karthik Subbaraj asked her to meet him without make-up: ‘I was really happy…’

The makers have finally dropped the much-awaited trailer of the Suriya-starrer Retro, and the film features actress Pooja Hegde as a vintage girl with a charming, romantic aura.
As excitement builds around the film’s release, Pooja Hegde opened up about an unforgettable experience during her first meeting with the director.
In a conversation with Gulte, she said, “When I was about to meet Karthik Subbaraj for the first time for a narration, he asked me to come without any make-up or hairstyling. I was really happy to hear that, as I love working on films that require a natural, no-make-up look.”

Retro tells the story of Paarivel Kannan, a man determined to leave behind a life of violence for the woman he loves, Rukmini. His efforts to embrace peace take a tragic turn when love slips away, prompting him to set off on a journey to reunite with her, battling all odds in the process.
Suriya and Pooja Hegde headline the film, joined by an ensemble cast including Joju George, Jayaram, Karunakaran, Nassar, Prakash Raj, and Sujith Shankar, among others. The film is jointly bankrolled by Suriya and Jyotika. Santhosh Narayanan composes the music. The film is set to hit theatres on May 1.
During an interview with Galatta India, she shared that director Karthik Subbaraj was particularly impressed by her performance in 'Radhe Shyam'. She mentioned that it was those powerful moments in 'Radhe Shyam' that convinced the director she was the right fit for 'Retro'.

On the work front, Suriya will be seen in Suriya 45, an action-packed project directed by RJ Balaji, with Trisha Krishnan playing the female lead.
In another news, Addressing her time away from Tollywood, the 'Aravinda Sametha Veera Raghava' actor according to a 123Telugu report, while interacting with media clarified that she never intended to distance herself from Telugu films but was waiting for the right script that matched her creative expectations. She shared that her break was not a conscious decision to step back, but rather a period of careful selection, ensuring her next project would be meaningful and exciting for her audience.
Pooja Hegde is gearing up for a pivotal role in Thalapathy Vijay’s Jana Nayagan, a political action drama directed by H. Vinoth. The film also features Bobby Deol, Mamitha Baiju, Priyamani, and Gautham Vasudev Menon. Apart from this, she will also be seen shaking a leg in a special dance number for Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Coolie, starring Rajinikanth.