In a chat with director Srikanth Odela , Nani spoke about the extreme reactions to the film and revealed that it was the first time in his career that he had faced such a response. Telugu star Nani ‘s The Paradise hit theatres on September 24. The film took a bumper opening but saw a sharp dip in collections the next day after receiving negative reviews.
Nani added, “Out of 33 films I made in my 18 years of career, this is the first time I am experiencing something like this. The film opened to a strong ₹ 34.65 crore on day one but saw a sharp decline in collections on the second day, when it earned ₹ 14 crore. So far, it has collected ₹ 97.10 crore net in India and ₹ 144.85 crore gross worldwide.
The actor spoke about the extreme reactions on social media, highlighting how some people were praising the film while others were deeply disappointed. That is also positive in a way. Rather than dismissing the backlash, Nani viewed it as a reflection of how deeply audiences had invested in his collaboration with Srikanth Odela following the success of Dasara. The actor added, “You know, and I know that we put our heart out. We never approached a scene thinking, ‘this is enough. We have suffered, but in a way, I think after the grand opening, the reactions are still a proof of the love they have for us. Make sure that the next one that comes from both of us, we should be able to become a big plus. Directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri and Ishan Saksena under Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas and IVY Entertainment, the film stars Nani, Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal in lead roles. It tells the story of a tribe called the Savaari fighting for citizenship in the 1980s. Sonali plays their leader, Sammakka, while Nani plays her son, Jadal. Mohan Babu plays a feudal overlord named Shikanja Malik, and Raghav plays his son, Vikram Malik. The story follows Sammakka and Jadal as they clash not only with Shikanja and Vikram but also with a system that refuses to legally recognise them despite their contributions. The film received criticism for its shoddy writing and execution. It regained some momentum over the weekend before dipping again on its first Monday.
But even when someone says they didn’t like the film, there is a passion behind that response, an aggressive honesty. When someone says ‘this didn’t work for me’ with that kind of intensity, it tells you something. He said the strong expectations and emotional reactions showed that the duo had built a genuine connection with the audience. The trust that led viewers to enter theatres with such high expectations was ultimately a positive sign, regardless of how the reactions appeared on the surface, according to Nani.
