Nani breaks silence on The Paradise failure, sees 'passion' in divided opinion

Nani has addressed the sharply divided response to The Paradise after its release. He said the intensity of the backlash reflects audience trust in his work with Srikanth Odela.Nani reacted to The Paradise mixed response, saying intense reactions show audience trust (Photo: SLV Cinemas)Bengaluru,Sep 29, 2026 12:35 ISTTelugu actor Nani addressed the divided reception to The Paradise, saying the intense reactions to the film are unlike anything he has experienced in his 18-year career. The actor said the strong response, including from those who did not enjoy the film, reflects the expectations and trust audiences placed in his collaboration with director Srikanth Odela after Dasara.Speaking in a post-release interview with Odela, Nani acknowledged the polarised response that The Paradise has received since its release on Thursday.“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,” Nani said.Rather than dismissing the criticism, the actor said he viewed the intensity of the response as an indication of how much faith audiences had in him and Odela following their first collaboration, Dasara. “This is how much trust the audience has in me and Srikanth working together. For people to walk into a theatre with that level of expectation, that level of emotion, and react this strongly, it means we built something real. That trust is a positive thing, no matter how the reactions look on the surface,” he said. Nani also expressed his hope that his next collaboration with Odela, should it happen, would win over those who felt disappointed by The Paradise.“The next one, whether it comes from Srikanth alone or from both of us together, has to be something where even the people who are upset right now, the ones who are saying they didn't like this film, should walk out of the theatre celebrating. That is what we owe them. The people who loved it should love the next one too. And the people who didn't love this one should have no reason to complain the next time,” Nani said.Despite the divided response, The Paradise maintained a decent run at the box office in its opening weekend. According to the latest Sacnilk figures, the film has collected an estimated Rs 97.76 crore net in India by Day 6. The India gross currently stands at Rs 115.63 crore, with the final Day 6 figures yet to be reported. The 5 day worldwide collection stands at Rs 144.85 crore.The Paradise marks Nani's second collaboration with Srikanth Odela after Dasara. Set in 1980s Secunderabad, the film follows a marginalised community's fight for recognition against feudal oppression.Nani plays Jadal, a character he has described as one of the most physically demanding roles of his career. Mohan Babu plays feudal antagonist Shikanja Maalik, while Raghav Juyal plays his son Vikram Maalik. Kayadu Lohar plays Subbu and Sonali Kulkarni plays Samakka. The technical crew includes Anirudh Ravichander as the music composer, CH Sai as cinematographer and Naveen Nooli as editor. The film is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the SLV Cinemas banner.Despite the divided response, Nani's comments suggest that the actor and Odela are choosing to view the intensity of the reaction as part of the larger expectations surrounding their collaboration. Nani will next be seen in Sujeeth's Bloody Romeo.- EndsMUST WATCH: