Telugu star Nani’s action drama The Paradise has stormed past ₹100 crore in India and ₹150 crore worldwide, delivering his career-best opening. Despite mixed reviews and intense backlash, Nani has embraced audience criticism as “aggressive honesty,” saying the passionate feedback and trolls have helped him learn from the film’s flaws and view the response as a positive.
Telugu star Nani's latest film, The Paradise, has stormed past the ₹100 crore mark in India net collections and ₹150 crore in worldwide collections, according to Sacnilk.
Telugu star Nani, who saw a massive opening for the film, recently discussed the movie and its backlash with director Srikanth Odela in a post-release interview released by its production banner, SLV Cinemas, on YouTube.
Speaking about the mixed reactions to the film, the actor added that this was probably the first time he had received such a response. “Out of 33 films I made in my 18 years of career, this is the first time I am experiencing something like this. 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. We actually took that as a positive,” the actor said.
Even as the film fielded largely mixed reviews, The Paradise posted the star’s career-best opening day following its global release on Thursday. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the action drama minted an estimated ₹76 crore worldwide gross on Day 1. The figure marks a massive leap from Nani’s previous career high, HIT: The Third Case (around ₹38 crore worldwide), nearly doubling his former personal record set by Dasara (₹36.25 crore).
The actor drew praise for addressing the film's criticisms as early as a day after release on X. "I have seen all your reactions and responses. I’ve received all your love and equally enjoyed your hilarious trolls. I’m heartwarmed by the way audience have owned the film, and also learnt from the flaws that critics and reviewers have pointed out. Thank you for everything is all I can say. We have made #TheParadise with a lot of blood and sweat to give you a unique experience, and it’s all yours to celebrate or judge. With the excitement you had for the film and the affection you showed on me, I am filled with gratitude," he wrote on his account.
The Srikanth Odela film co-starred Kayadu Lohar and Raghav Juyal.