Nani and director Srikanth Odela are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated film The Paradise, which is scheduled to hit screens on September 24. At the Chennai press meet, they opened up about the film’s emotional core, intense world, the hard work behind it and their confidence in its theatrical impact.
Director Srikanth Odela described The Paradise as a revolutionary film driven by a powerful mother-son emotion.
“Nani plays a rebellious character. How he fights for his mother, his emotions, his land and their existence forms the core emotion of the film,” he said.
Revealing that real-life incidents played a role in shaping the film, Srikanth added, “I took inspiration from real incidents that happened near my hometown, which has a very rebellious history.”
The filmmaker has been working relentlessly on the project and is currently spending sleepless nights completing the remaining work.
For Nani, The Paradise represents the kind of film he has been eagerly waiting to experience as an audience.
“As an audience, The Paradise is the kind of film I’ve been waiting to watch in a theatre. It’s a proper mass film. The movie doesn’t undermine us, underestimate us or look down on us. It genuinely tries to tell a story with very strong emotion while also delivering theatrical moments and high points,” he said.
Nani also spoke about his transformation into Jadal and the physical challenge of maintaining the character’s distinctive hairstyle.
“My respect for women only grew after growing my hair for this Jadal character. It’s really a tough task to have braids for 160 days,” he said.
Discussing the film’s intensity, Nani noted that The Paradise may not appeal to every section of the audience in the same way.
“Every genre can’t cater to all sections. The level of violence in the movie may be similar to what you have seen in other commercial films, but the intensity is much stronger. Grown-up audiences will enjoy it to the core,” he said.
