In Tamil, the word "zha" is pronounced as a retroflex fricative sound similar to the English "r" sound. In Malayalam, it is also pronounced as a retroflex fricative, but it can vary depending on the dialect, and sometimes it may be pronounced as a retroflex liquid or a retroflex flap.

HIS LEG WAS BENT SO BADLY THAT his bone was almost popping out and IT ALMOST WAS RETROFLEX.

Bent back.

Retroflex is the closest to bending backwards.

Some variants for the phoneme "r" include the retroflex "r" produced with the tongue curled back, the uvular "r" produced with the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and the alveolar tap or flap "ɾ" produced with a quick tap of the tongue against the alveolar ridge.