KTR watches Nani's The Paradise in Hyderabad, praises its Telangana roots

BRS working president K. T. Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, watched Nani's The Paradise at Sudarshan 35MM in Hyderabad on Saturday, September 26. Earlier that day, he had shared his plans on X, calling Nani one of his favourite actors and speaking highly of director Srikanth Odela. He reportedly said this was his first visit to a theatre in several years.

Clips shared on Instagram showed him in a white shirt, seated among fellow moviegoers and watching the screen closely. Reports say the outing was a special screening at the theatre near RTC X Roads, and that BRS MLAs, former ministers and other party leaders joined him. Among those named were Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra and former ministers Guntakandla Jagadish Reddy and Talasani Srinivas Yadav.

The visit has a personal angle. Priyadarshi plays MLA Shankaranna in the film, a character whose look and mannerisms have drawn comparisons with KTR's father, former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. According to reports, the crowd cheered loudly whenever Shankaranna appeared on screen with his tilak and Telangana dialect, and BRS MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy was seen tossing confetti at the screen.

The story follows the Savaari community's fight for recognition, with Nani in the lead role. Shankaranna promises to stand by the community in its quest for dignity and a better life. The film is reportedly set in the 1980s and draws on the legacy of Sammakka and the historical struggle of the Koya tribal community.

After the show, KTR reportedly took to X to praise the film as a story of survival and resistance against oppression. He credited Srikanth Odela with delivering a strong message, that even blades of grass can turn into crowbars when the moment comes, and said the director had given a "splendid visual form" to the tale of a leader who rises for an oppressed society. He also applauded the way the film captures Telangana's soil, dialect and culture.

"Sincere best wishes to my friend Nani, who truly lived the role of the protagonist. Special congratulations to Priyadarshi," he wrote. He also quoted a line spoken by Shankaranna about bringing his people recognition even while staring death in the face, and added, "You know who that is."