Nani’s much-awaited film The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the SLV Cinemas banner, is carrying strong buzz ahead of its release on September 24.
Nani opened up about the film’s unique world, his character Jadal, the intense action, music, emotions and his experience working with the director.
“The Jadal look is not just an attempt to try something new. There is a strong reason behind it. I have mostly played relatable characters before, but this time I tried something very different. The character is someone who did not grow up in regular society. What that means will become clear when you watch the film. He has a certain madness right from the beginning,” Nani said.
Despite its intense action, Nani believes The Paradise is fundamentally an emotional drama.
“This is a film for family audiences. The mother-son emotion is very real. Since there is a lot of violence, it may be difficult for very young children to watch. But this is a proper drama and an emotional film. Everything you expect from commercial cinema is there in it. The film begins with mother emotion and ends with mother emotion. It may not take much time to enter the world of The Paradise, but it will stay with you for a long time,” he said.
Nani had particularly high praise for Anirudh Ravichander’s work on the film.
“I feel this will be some of Anirudh’s best music. This is a film that has used him to his full potential. Anirudh has an exceptional grip on sound, while Srikanth has a strong understanding of our folk music. The craziness of both of them has resulted in great music,” he said.
The actor also spoke about Mohan Babu’s character. According to Nani, Srikanth suggested his name for the role.
“Srikanth suggested Mohan Babu’s name. Mohan Babu has never done something this brutal before. He was very excited about the role,” Nani said.
The actor is also performing more action than ever before in his career.
“There is more action in The Paradise than in any film I have done before. But every fight begins with a strong reason and an emotional lead,” he explained.
He also spoke about the fictional world created for the film.
“The Paradise is set in a place where a fictional tribe called Sawari has no recognition. Even when they die, they have no identity. They do not exist in the eyes of the law. Their fight is for identity. The story takes place in 1984-85. It is world-building in a cinematic way, but we added certain elements to keep it relatable to us,” he said.
Nani described Srikanth Odela as a filmmaker who deeply understands the theatrical experience.
“Srikanth enjoys commercial cinema and emotion equally. He designs every scene in a way that audiences can enjoy it in theatres. He is an extreme mass audience member himself. He treats mass cinema like a god,” Nani said.
With the film’s business progressing positively, Nani said the team’s biggest concern was completing the film on time.
“The producer is extremely happy with the business. Our only tension was the delay. We worked very hard this time to make sure we did not miss the release date. We did not compromise on the film, but we did not get much time for promotions,” he said.
Nani also promised that The Paradise is a proper theatrical film designed to appeal to a wide section of audiences.
