Retta Thala actor Siddhi Idnani: Audience are smart enough to differentiate between unwanted and important characters

It has been two years since the release of Kathar Basha Endra Muthuramalingam, after which actor Siddhi Idnani will be coming back to Tamil cinema. With her action thriller film Retta Thala gearing up for Christmas release, Siddhi says that it’s been amazing and dream-like state ever since her first Tamil film Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu had released in 2022.

“People still call me by my role in VTK, and it was a great launch. I think I had some seriousness and extremely conscious of my choices. After VTK, I immediately did Kathar Basha Endra Muthuramalingam but that didn’t do well. It was when it hit me that no two sides can be same. I had put more efforts, but it didn’t materialise. I took a step back, observe from 360-degree angle, and took a gap for a right script. That’s when Retta Thala came to me. It is like a tornado, a harmless one that you can enjoy with popcorn by the side.”

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In Retta Thala, Siddhi plays Antre, a young woman from Pondicherry. “Her mother is French and father is a fisherman. Both of them passed away when she was young and grew up experiencing poverty. So, she is ambitious and wants no poverty ever in her life. She is raised by her grandmother and has a lot of aspirations. In order to do that, she does not have any inhibitions and wants to reach the top, no matter what it takes her. She is very black and white, that is how she encounters Arun Vijay’s Kaali, and how they embark on a journey,” Siddhi explains.

Also read: Also read: Arun Vijay’s Retta Thala is action thriller - With this one-liner, here is what the director has to say

The actor further explains on how Retta Thala’s director Kris Thirukumaran made it clear that her role has some importance in the script. “When I am coming to a film and after a break, I want to make sure my character leaves a mark. Even in VTK, though she did not have much screen space, people remembered. So, in this film, I want to make sure I came with bang. I would associate the perfume Red Temptation from Zara to Antre, bold, strong and very lasting impact.”

Also read: Retta Thala movie 2025: Release date, cast, runtime and everything to know about Arun Vijay starrer

It is a common notion that action thrillers, especially the testosterone-heavy ones, often are biased towards women roles and offer limited scope. When asked about this, Siddhi opines that the script and director are important. “I have been fortunate to work with those who write good characters, be it Gautham Menon or Muthaiya sir. But generally, in Tamil cinema, audience have become smart enough to differentiate between unwanted and important characters. The minute they watch larger-than-life, action films, they can tell why a certain character is part of it or not. It is not the times when nobody will notice. So, being woman in industry, it is great time to have good, chunky roles in films.”

‘My favourite watch this year is Lokah’

As audience, Siddhi’s favourite watch this year is Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. She watched the film at a theatre houseful in Mumbai. “It was dubbed version and watched it in Hindi. I was so happy to see such a good response from audience for a female superhero. Hats off to Kalyani and studio that backed it. It was high-risk but it broke the stereotypes, and opened avenues for rest of us,” Siddhi mentions.

Talking about how films across languages get free access to travel anywhere within country and even world, Siddhi says that it’s a great time to be in cinemas. “Initially, there have been beliefs when someone who did television or OTT cannot get into films, but everyone is everywhere. It is just open and avenues are open. Like, if Thalapathy Vijay sir decides to do one more film, I know every actor in every industry would want to be part of that film. Similarly, a Ranbir Kapoor can work with a Tamil actress, and that can happen. The limits are not there.”

Siddhi also talks about her long-pending film Nooru Kodi Vanavil, a romantic drama co-starring Harish Kalyan and hopes that it releases sometime in 2026. “Harish is doing well for himself, and collectively, if Harish and I keep doing well, we will one day release it,” the actor says. Apart from that, she has wrapped up shooting for another Tamil film for an upcoming director for his third film, and two more which will kickstart after Pongal 2026.

Retta Thala FAQs

Q. Who is the hero of Retta Thala?

A. Arun Vijay is the hero of Retta Thala.

Q. Who is the music director in the movie Retta Thala?

A. Sam CS has scored the music for Retta Thala.

Q. What is Retta Thala release date?

A. Retta Thala will release on December 25.