HYDERABAD, Sept 28: Nani starrer The Paradise continued its strong opening-weekend performance at the worldwide box office, with the action drama reaching a reported Rs 138.25 crore gross by the end of its fourth day in theatres.
Directed by Srikanth Odela, the film recorded Rs 15.70 crore net in India on Sunday, September 27, according to industry tracker Sacnilk figures cited by The Times of India. The fourth day collection was around 3 per cent higher than its Rs 15.25 crore net haul on Saturday.
The latest figures extend what has been a strong opening for the Telugu language action drama, which arrived in cinemas on September 24. The film had already crossed the Rs 100 crore worldwide mark within its first three days, underlining the scale of its initial theatrical response.
On its third day, The Paradise collected Rs 15.25 crore net in India from 6,889 shows. Its cumulative India net collection stood at Rs 76.40 crore after three days, while the India gross reached Rs 90.50 crore. The overseas market contributed another Rs 4 crore on Saturday, taking the worldwide gross to Rs 119.50 crore at that stage.
Sunday brought a modest improvement in domestic business. The film recorded an overall India occupancy of 35.7 per cent across 6,764 shows, compared with 33.4 per cent occupancy on Saturday. The increase in collections came despite the film receiving mixed reactions from critics and sections of the audience.
The early theatrical performance is significant for Nani, as reports have described The Paradise as the biggest opening of his career. The film has also become his highest-grossing release in a short span, according to reports tracking its first few days of business.
The movie marks Nani’s second collaboration with filmmaker Srikanth Odela after their earlier project Dasara. The new film takes a different setting and scale, with an action-driven narrative centred on a marginalised community and its struggle against oppression.
Odela has previously revealed that several elements of the story were inspired by real life incidents from his hometown in Telangana. He said experiences and incidents he witnessed while growing up influenced aspects of the film’s world and narrative.
The production has been mounted on a large scale, with elaborate sets created to establish the environment required for the story. Nani has also described the project as one of the most demanding films of his career, reflecting the physical and creative requirements involved in bringing the character and setting to the screen.
The film’s release was accompanied by considerable anticipation. Advance bookings had generated strong numbers before its theatrical arrival, with reports indicating that bookings had crossed Rs 18 crore ahead of release, including block-seat reservations.
Ticket prices were also increased in Telangana for the film’s theatrical run. The state government approved revised ticket rates for a specified period around the release, while a special screening was permitted ahead of the official release date.
The release strategy helped create a strong initial business across the Telugu market, which remains the principal contributor to the film’s domestic collections. Its performance outside the home market has also contributed to the rapid rise in worldwide gross.
The movie’s opening weekend trajectory is notable because the collections did not follow a completely linear pattern. After a strong opening day, the film recorded a decline on Friday before registering a small rise on Saturday. Sunday subsequently brought another modest increase, keeping the film’s weekend run steady.
According to reported figures, the film’s Day 3 India net collection of Rs 15.25 crore represented a 2.3 per cent increase over its Day 2 business of Rs 14.90 crore. The fourth-day figure of Rs 15.70 crore represented another 3 per cent rise over Saturday.
The performance has also demonstrated the importance of the Telugu market to the film’s theatrical business. While the movie was released across multiple markets and languages, its home territory has remained the principal source of domestic revenue.
The Paradise stars Nani opposite Kayadu Lohar, with the cast supporting a story that combines action and social themes. The film presents Nani in a character positioned at the centre of a conflict involving a community facing deprivation and unequal access to basic rights.
The film’s narrative approach has attracted attention because it combines a commercial action format with social elements. Director Srikanth Odela has sought to give the story a specific regional setting while incorporating incidents and experiences drawn from his own background.
The movie also faced a legal development shortly before its release. A Bengaluru court granted interim protection against the circulation of alleged defamatory content concerning the film. The order came during the promotional period and was aimed at restricting the spread of the disputed material.
Despite the different reactions to the film, its box office performance during the opening weekend has remained substantial. The worldwide gross crossed Rs 100 crore by Day 3 and subsequently moved close to Rs 140 crore by the end of Day 4.
For Nani, the figures mark another significant commercial milestone. The actor has built a strong position in Telugu cinema through a range of films, and The Paradise represents one of his largest scale productions to date.
The film’s performance also adds to the growing visibility of Telugu cinema in markets beyond Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Strong overseas collections have played an important role in its worldwide total, with the international market contributing significantly during the first weekend.
With the opening weekend now complete, the film’s next challenge will be maintaining its audience over the weekdays. Sustained collections will depend on how the movie performs after the initial release period and how audiences respond to the film in the coming days.
For the moment, however, The Paradise has made a strong start. Its Rs 138.25 crore worldwide gross by Day 4, combined with its reported Rs 15.70 crore Sunday India net collection, gives the Nani-starrer a substantial opening-weekend base as it enters its first full week in theatres.