The Paradise box office: Nizam holds firm as Andhra and overseas struggle

Nani's The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela, is having a split run at the box office. The film met with strongly negative reactions after release, and many expected it to sink quickly. It has held on better than that, but it still has a long road ahead before it breaks even.

Nizam is the one region where things look healthy. The film has kept its momentum in Telangana, and reports say distributors there could recover their investment if collections hold for about another week. Telangana-flavoured touches in the film, including character references said to be inspired by KCR, have reportedly kept the conversation going in the region. Ceded has reportedly done somewhat better than other areas, though not by enough to change the bigger picture.

Andhra has been the weak spot. The film reportedly opened well there on the strength of advance bookings, but collections dropped after the first shows, and the region now looks set for losses. Overseas has also disappointed. In North America the film has reportedly crossed $2 million, but a big share of that came from premieres, and it is still far from break-even in that market.

According to reports, the film grossed around Rs 125 crore worldwide in its first four days. Nani's credibility, two chartbuster songs and curiosity around Srikanth Odela's second film are said to have helped it survive the harsh early talk. Reports also point to over-the-top performances, heavy violence and unintentionally funny scenes that quickly turned into troll material online.

With Telangana responding best, the makers are reportedly focusing their promotions there. That push has included promotion by KTR and a team visit to the Sammakka-Sarakka temple. Reports describe the film as a career-best opening for Nani that has struggled to keep its pace.

Some reports have also grouped The Paradise with Vijay Deverakonda's The Family Star and Prabhas' The Raja Saab, two recent films that failed badly at the box office and also carried the word "The" in their titles. The Paradise has fared better than both, but its chase to reach break-even is far from over.