Before The Paradise, Watch Nani’s Best Movies

As Nani gears up for the ambitious The Paradise, we look back at his most memorable performances, from a vengeful housefly to a fiery revolutionary and to a Saturday-only action hero.

IMAGE: Nani in The Paradise.

‘Natural Star’ Nani is ready with his new film, The Paradise, which could easily be his most ambitious project to date. It comes with an unusual caveat.

The film hits theatres on September 24 without giving the audience any real idea of what to expect, simply because the makers are skipping a trailer release. Skipping the trailer is not exactly a tactical move. According to media reports, it is a time-saving effort, allowing the team to focus on polishing the final print before shipping it to theatres.

Directed by Srikanth Odela, who previously helmed Nani in Dasara, The Paradise is set in the ’80s and follows a tribe fighting the system for their identity and belonging under the leadership of a powerful warrior, played by Nani.

Apart from our ‘Natural Star’, The Paradise also stars Kayadu Lohar, Raghav Juyal, Sonali Kulkarni, Sampoornesh Babu and Mohan Babu.

Keeping fingers crossed that The Paradise turns out to be an actual box office ‘paradise’ for everyone involved, Sreeju Sudhakaran looks back at his favourite Nani movies over the years. From the one where he was reincarnated as a vengeful housefly to the one where he was errr… not reincarnated as a sewer-dwelling insect.

 

Eega (2012)

IMAGE: Nani and Samantha Ruth Prabhu in Eega.

Nani’s screen time might be brief in this S S Rajamouli classic, but his character is the centrepiece of the film. Never mind that he spends most of it as an animated housefly wreaking havoc on the man who ended his human existence.

During his human form in the first act, Nani is incredibly charming as the boy-next-door, who falls for the beautiful heroine, played by Samantha, a romance that ultimately costs him his life.

I do not need to elaborate on how Eega is such an ingeniously fun revenge romp as much has been written about it; a crucial credit for the film’s engagement power also should go to Kiccha Sudeepa excelling as the antagonist.

Baahubali movies may be credited for Rajamouli’s Pan India success but the roadmap was already paved by how his earlier ventures such as Magadheera and Eega caught the attention of the audience beyond Andhra.

Yevade Subramanyam (2015)

IMAGE: Vijay Deverakonda, Malvika Nair and Nani in Yevade Subramanyam.

Now that they are more interesting in picking up action-heavy roles, it is easy to forget a time when Nani and Vijay Deverakonda were charming audiences with light, feel-good, youthful performances (Nani still occasionally does).

The same applies to director Nag Ashwin, currently busy with the sequel to his expensive sci-fi saga, Kalki 2898 AD. A few years before that, he crafted this relatable coming-of-age dramedy bringing Nani and Deverakonda together in a tale of friendship and self-realisation.

Nani perfectly depicts the transition of an ambitious corporate stooge into an empathetic Samaritan with a fresh perspective on life. Deverakonda is charming as his free-spirited bestie and so was Malvika Nair as a similar kindred spirit.

The movie also boasted some breathtaking visuals of the Himalayan vistas, with the snowcapped geography playing a crucial role in the plot.

Jersey (2019)

IMAGE: Shraddha Srinath and Nani in Jersey.

Written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, Jersey is a sports drama that delivers goosebumps and heart-wrenching melodrama in equal measure. Somehow, that tricky blend clicks quite well here.

A primary reason is Nani’s effective performance as a talented cricketer continuously betrayed by life. Jersey is not just the usual underdog movie; it is an equally affecting marital drama (Shraddha Srinath is superb as the frustrated wife), and a deeply touching father-son story.

Jersey also stands as a prime example of how a film can work absolute wonders in one language but lose its impact in a faithful Hindi remake, despite retaining the same director and boasting a solid lead performance from Shahid Kapoor.

Nani’s Gang Leader (2019)

IMAGE: Nani in Gang Leader.

If you can ignore the blatant insertion of its lead star’s name in the title, Nani’s Gang Leader is a thrilling black comedy loosely inspired by the 2018 Hollywood heist thriller Widows.

That creates an interesting irony, considering Nani plays a crime novelist whose works are entirely rip-offs of foreign revenge sagas, including Tarantino classics like Kill Bill.

His ‘revenge’ novels ultimately bring him to the attention of five women of varying ages, who desperately want him to lead their real-life vendetta mission.

Vikram Kumar, known for putting inventive spins on masala entertainers like 24 and Manam, delivers a fun mix of action, thrills, and humour, further elevated by enjoyable performances from Nani, Priyadarshi Pulikonda and veteran actresses Lakshmi and Saranya Ponvannan.

Shyam Singha Roy (2021)

IMAGE: Nani and Sai Pallavi in Shyam Singha Roy.

Rahul Sankrityan’s Shyam Singha Roy once again placed Nani in a reincarnation drama. Except this time, he retains his human form and there is no revenge angle involved.

The movie takes a while to get going, particularly during the initial light-hearted, modern-day portions setting up the romance between Nani and Krithi Shetty. Their intimate scenes rightfully drew flak because Shetty was a minor during the shoot, and she later admitted she was uncomfortable filming them.

The narrative gains real momentum when the modern-day protagonist faces plagiarism allegations, pushing him to discover his past life. The ’70s flashback is where Shyam Singha Roy truly shines.

Nani is more impressive as the titular character who is a fierce socialist reformer, while Sai Pallavi steals the show as a devadasi he falls deeply in love with, that ultimately culminates in a heartbreaking ending to their romance.

Ante Sundaraniki (2022)

IMAGE: Nani and Nazriya Nazim in Ante Sundaraniki.

Ante Sundaraniki is the kind of frothy romcom where you are perfectly willing to forgive the plot convolutions simply because the lead couple is so incredibly good.

Paired together for the first time, Nani and Nazriya Nazim display undeniable chemistry that makes their onscreen romance instantly click. Their star-crossed love story holds lovely appeal, and the chaotic bundle of lies they concoct to secure their families’ approval delivers plenty of entertaining moments.

Nani is adorable as the nerdy Brahmin boy, effortlessly matching the cute vibe of Nazriya’s act as his Christian lover.

Ante Sundaraniki is a bit too long, and the dramatic twists in the second half make it feel more overdrawn. Nevertheless, the movie remains a fun watch that sharply points a critical needle at the deep-rooted bigotry lurking within Indian households.

Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (2024)

IMAGE: Nani in Saripodhaa Sanivaaram.

Action masala entertainers are far too often stuck inside formulaic packaging. A movie manages to stand out solely based on how smartly a director plays with that exact packaging.

I am rarely a huge fan of how Telugu cinema typically approaches these mass potboilers. Yet, Saripodhaa Sanivaaram is one of those rare, enjoyable exceptions that revels in the established formula without ever compromising the quality of its entertainment value.

Vivek Athreya, in his second film with Nani after Ante Sundaraniki, not only provides a interesting quirk to Nani’s hero (who strictly reserves his violent outbursts for Saturdays to fix his anger management issues), but also uses that in delivering delivers plenty of engaging, high-stakes face-offs with the main antagonist, played by S J Suryah in absolute scene-stealing mode.

Saripodhaa Sanivaaram may not be breaking new grounds here, but it is a film that knows its ground really well and ensure that most of its shots are hit out of the park.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff