Nani is on the verge of achieving the biggest opening of his career with The Paradise. The film has already crossed the Rs 40 crore mark in worldwide pre-sales, even before its first regular show begins. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the action drama is set to release worldwide on September 24, 2026, with paid premiere shows starting on the evening of September 23.
The advance booking numbers are a clear sign of the huge demand for the film. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film has recorded over Rs 40 crore gross in worldwide pre-sales for its opening day. In India alone, the film has sold more than 9 lakh tickets for its opening day shows, grossing around Rs 19.52 crore. The premiere shows on Wednesday have also brought in strong numbers, with 1.78 lakh tickets sold, adding another Rs 5.64 crore.
Advance Booking Numbers in India and Overseas
The response has been especially strong in the Telugu-speaking states. Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are leading the domestic market, with Hyderabad alone contributing over Rs 7 crore in Day 1 advance sales. Other regions like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala are also showing steady interest, though the numbers are lower compared to the home market.
Overseas, the film is performing exceptionally well. Prathyangira Cinemas, the distributor for North America and Australia, reported that The Paradise collected $1.11 million (about Rs 10.62 crore) in advance bookings for its North American premieres alone. This is more than double what Nani’s previous film, HIT: The Third Case, managed in the same region. The distributor has also stated that the film is set to become Nani’s highest opener in Australia, based purely on pre-sales.
Nani Set to Beat His Own Record
The advance booking trend suggests that The Paradise will easily surpass Nani’s previous career-best opening. His last film, HIT: The Third Case, released in 2025, opened with Rs 37.81 crore worldwide on its first day. His 2023 film Dasara, also directed by Srikanth Odela, had an opening of Rs 36.28 crore. Trade analysts are now projecting that The Paradise could cross the Rs 50 crore mark on its first day, which would make it Nani’s biggest opener by a comfortable margin.
What makes this achievement even more notable is the film’s A (Adults Only) certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). An A rating usually limits the audience, as children and younger viewers cannot watch the film. Despite this, the advance booking numbers show that the adult audience is turning up in large numbers.
Nani Explains the A Rating
Nani addressed the A rating at a press meet in Mumbai on September 21. He explained that the film has a lot of violence, but it is not violence for the sake of violence. He said the film is a solid drama with emotions, love, and strong characters.
“Of course, when your film has received an ‘A’ certificate, you’ll miss out on kids and a chunk of moviegoers. But I also understand where it’s all coming from. There’s a lot of violence in The Paradise.”
Nani added that the film is an emotional, commercial film that everybody will relate to, regardless of age group. He said families can watch it together, but children cannot view it because of the violence.
“Everything that happens in the film is what we see around and what we can relate to. There’s drama, emotions and a love story; that is, everything which films, in general, have. But the violence portions are a little higher than other films.”
The actor also revealed that the team was prepared for the A rating while shooting the film itself.
What Is The Paradise About?
The Paradise is set in the 1980s in Secunderabad. The story follows a marginalised community that fights against systematic oppression and battles for its basic rights. Nani plays a character named Jadal in the film.
The film stars Kayadu Lohar as the female lead, Mohan Babu in a pivotal role, and Raghav Juyal as the antagonist. Sonali Kulkarni, Sampoornesh Babu, Easwari Rao, and Tanikella Bharani are also part of the ensemble cast. Keerthy Suresh is set to make a special appearance.
The music for the film is composed by Anirudh Ravichander, with CH Sai as the cinematographer and Navin Nooli as the editor. The film is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the SLV Cinemas banner.
Global Release and OTT Details
The Paradise is releasing in theatres worldwide on September 24, 2026. The film will be available in multiple languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, English, Bengali, and Spanish. Paid premiere shows were held on September 23 in India and several overseas markets.
For viewers in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia, the film is releasing through Prathyangira Cinemas. In India, tickets are available through platforms like BookMyShow, District, and TicketNew. After its theatrical run, the film will stream on Netflix. Reports confirm that Netflix acquired the digital rights for around Rs 65 crore.
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Advance Booking Trend and Final Numbers
The advance booking for The Paradise has been strong across all major markets. In India, the film has sold over 9.17 lakh tickets for its opening day, with a gross of Rs 19.52 crore as of 3 PM on September 23. The premiere shows have added another 1.78 lakh tickets worth Rs 5.64 crore.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala claimed on X that the film has grossed Rs 43 crore worldwide in pre-sales. With still more time for bookings before the first regular shows on September 24, the final opening day numbers are expected to be even higher.
The film’s runtime is 174 minutes and 4 seconds (about 2 hours and 54 minutes), as per the CBFC certificate. The censor board asked for minor changes, including replacing alternate visuals of a crow on the national flag and modifying a scene involving a pregnant woman.
Also Read: Nani Defends The Paradise A Certificate, Says Film Has Drama and Love Beyond Its High Violence
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