Cinema VinesNani’s latest venture, The Paradise, opened in theatres this Thursday after a paid premiere on Wednesday, and has already smashed his previous opening records. Despite receiving lukewarm reviews, the film has raked in ₹31.04 crore net in India on its first day, according to trade portal Sacnilk, marking it as the actor’s biggest opener to date. The movie ran in 8,639 shows and maintained an occupancy above 59% throughout the day, with a 46.8% occupancy at 8 PM.
The film, directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri and Ishan Saksena under Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas and IVY Entertainment, features Nani in the lead role alongside Mohan Babu, Sonali Kulkarni, Kayadu Lohar and Raghav Juyal. It tells the story of the Savaari tribe from the fictional land of Paradise, who fight for legal recognition and struggle against a feudal lord’s exploitation.
In comparison, Odela’s earlier 2025 release, HIT: The Third Case, earned ₹21 crore net on its opening day, while Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (2024) collected ₹9 crore. Nani’s 2023 releases, Hi Nanna and Dasara, brought in ₹4.90 crore and ₹23.20 crore respectively. The current film’s strong start surpasses all these figures.
While the film performed well during its premiere and opening day, critics have mixed feelings. Hindustan Times noted that the director tried to pay homage to the 13th‑century Koya tribal warrior Sammakka, but the story fell short of expectations, comparing it unfavourably to the film Toxic. Nevertheless, the movie’s commercial momentum remains to be seen as it heads into the weekend.
