The Paradise opens to divided early reactions

The Paradise opened in theatres on September 24, with early responses divided over the Telugu action drama’s ambitious visuals and Nani’s performance, as well as its screenplay and second half. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the film stars Nani as Jadal, a man drawn into a marginalised community’s struggle against oppression. Set in Secunderabad, the story centres on a community seeking dignity and recognition under the control of powerful figures. Jadal’s relationship with his mother is a central emotional thread, alongside the film’s themes of survival and resistance. The cast also includes Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal. The film reunites Nani and Odela after their earlier collaboration, Dasara. The first professional assessments point to a film with conspicuous strengths and weaknesses, rather than a settled critical consensus. One review praised the film’s atmosphere, production design, technical craft and Nani’s committed performance, while describing the second half as less consistent. Another also singled out Nani and the production design, but faulted the screenplay for relying on familiar story elements and found the later section weak.