Nani's The Paradise Posts Career-Best Day 1 With Rs 74.9 Crore Worldwide

Nani’s Telugu action drama The Paradise posted the biggest opening day of the actor’s career, collecting about Rs 74.90 crore worldwide gross on its first full day after strong advance sales and paid premieres, India Today reported Friday, citing trade tracker Sacnilk, while The Times of India documented the pre-release surge that set up the start.

India Today put the Day 1 worldwide gross at Rs 74.90 crore, including Rs 54.90 crore from India and Rs 20 crore overseas, with India nett at Rs 46.25 crore across more than 10,000 shows when paid previews and Thursday’s regular run were combined. That outpaced Nani’s previous biggest openers HIT: The Third Case (about Rs 38 crore worldwide Day 1) and Dasara (about Rs 36.25 crore), according to the same Sacnilk-based tally.

Directed by Srikanth Odela — Nani’s second collaboration after 2023’s Dasara — the film received an A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification yet still built heavy pre-sales in Telugu states. Times of India live updates said advance bookings had already crossed roughly Rs 40 crore worldwide, including block seats, before Thursday’s morning shows, with Hyderabad alone contributing more than Rs 7 crore in Day 1 advance demand.

India Today’s regional breakout showed Andhra Pradesh and Telangana dominating: about Rs 11 crore from Day 0 paid previews and Rs 31.50 crore on Day 1, for a combined Rs 42.50 crore in those states. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and the rest of India added smaller shares that still pushed the India gross near Rs 55 crore when previews were included.

Paid premieres on Wednesday, Sept. 23, generated about Rs 13.95 crore India gross at roughly 79 percent occupancy across 900 shows, India Today said. Thursday’s expanded slate of nearly 9,700 shows brought about Rs 40.95 crore India gross at just under 50 percent occupancy — still enough, with previews, to lock a career-best opening headline for Nani.

Overseas distributor figures cited in India Today’s report put North American premiere pre-sales alone above $1.11 million (about Rs 10.60 crore), more than double the comparable premiere haul for HIT: The Third Case. That overseas kick helped the worldwide Day 1 story even as domestic reviews split.

For readers following South Indian theatricals on Bollywood, The Paradise arrives as a mass-action bet rooted in 1980s Secunderabad, with Nani playing Jadal, a character from a marginalized community, Times of India and India Today both noted. The cast includes Mohanlal or Mohan Babu depending on billing notes across outlets, plus Kayadu Lohar and Raghav Juyal; Anirudh Ravichander scored the music.

Critical response was cooler than the advance heat. India Today’s own review scored the film two stars, praising Nani’s effort and Anirudh’s songs while arguing Odela crammed too many themes — oppression, identity, revenge — without a coherent through-line. Early X reactions tracked by Times of India ranged from interval-block praise to complaints about second-half pacing, editing and sound mix.

That gap between opening numbers and mixed notices is familiar for big Telugu launches: A-rated adult action can still clear huge first-day grosses when star trust and regional density align, then face steeper holds if word of mouth softens. Trade desks will watch whether Friday-Sunday occupancy sustains the Thursday spike or settles toward the mid-40s percentages already visible on Day 1.

Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas, The Paradise also drew public wishes from Vijay Deverakonda, Sundeep Kishan and Dulquer Salmaan ahead of release, Times of India’s liveblog recorded — social proof that does not guarantee holds but underlines how closely the industry is watching Nani’s Odela reunion.

As of Friday’s India Today wrap, the career-best Day 1 claim rests on Sacnilk’s worldwide gross comparison rather than nett-only tables. Either framing still marks a clear commercial win for the opening weekend conversation, even if the longer theatrical runway depends on whether audiences who bought advances return for the second half of the week.

Netflix has been reported as a likely post-theatrical partner by Telugu trade chatter cited in Times of India’s coverage, though makers had not locked a public OTT date at opening. For now, the verified story is theatrical: Nani’s biggest Day 1, Telugu states carrying the load, and a crowded September slate that already includes competing Hindi and Hollywood titles for screens outside the core markets.