Nani's The Paradise opens to record advance sales but tough reviews

Nani's The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri, reached theatres on Thursday, September 24. It arrived with the biggest advance sales of Nani's career. Pre-sales on BookMyShow and District together crossed 1.5 million tickets, and online bookings have pulled in close to Rs 60 crore worldwide. In the USA, it became the fastest Nani film to cross the $1 million mark in advance sales, and the actor has reportedly drawn level with Mahesh Babu at 12 million-dollar films in that market.

The story is set among the Savari tribe, a community with no official recognition that lives in an area called Paradise, which is controlled by Malik (Mohan Babu). Nani plays Jadal, who comes back after years in prison full of rage and set on bringing Malik down. Sonali Kulkarni plays his mother Sammakka, Kayadu Lohar plays Subbu, and Raghav Juyal also features. This is Odela's second film after Dasara, and once again he splits the story into chapters, six this time.

Critics are far less excited than ticket buyers. Most reviews agree that the first half works, building a raw world and leading into an effective interval. After the break, the film loses sight of its central conflict and drags on. The gore draws the most criticism, with body parts hacked off scene after scene until the bloodshed numbs rather than grips.

Nani's physical makeover, from his look to his body language, earns wide credit. But reviewers feel the writing gives Jadal little to do beyond anger and action. Mohan Babu starts strong before the script pushes Malik aside, while Sonali Kulkarni is singled out for bringing real weight to her role. Raghav Juyal largely fails to impress as a villain, and Kayadu Lohar's track comes across as forced.

Anirudh Ravichander's music is a bright spot. His songs drove much of the buzz before release and bring energy to the action on screen, and the production design and slum sets also win praise. For now, the advance numbers point to the biggest opening of Nani's career, even as most reviews wish the film matched that scale with a tighter story.