Nani‘s latest action drama The Paradise has witnessed a major drop on its second day at the box office. After a record-breaking opening, the Srikanth Odela-directed film collected around ₹14.90 crore net in India on Friday, bringing its domestic total to ₹61.15 crore in just two days. The drop is over 50 percent compared to its opening day numbers, according to trade tracker Sacnilk.
Day One Was a Career-Best Opening for Nani
The film had a strong start. The Paradise collected ₹11.60 crore from paid previews on Wednesday and another ₹34.65 crore net on its official opening day, Thursday, September 24. Combined, the opening day total reached ₹46.25 crore net in India, making it the biggest opener of Nani’s career so far. The previous best was HIT: The Third Case, which had opened at ₹21 crore net in India. Worldwide, the film grossed ₹76.90 crore on day one, including ₹22 crore from overseas markets.
The Second Day Drop in Numbers
On Friday, September 25, The Paradise saw a steep decline. Morning show occupancy fell to 24.62 percent, down from 59.08 percent on the opening day. By 1:00 PM, the film had added ₹4.32 crore, with the Telugu version contributing ₹3.85 crore, Tamil adding ₹11 lakh, and Hindi bringing in ₹36 lakh. The overall occupancy for the day settled around 31 percent across 7,046 shows.
The Telugu version continued to lead, earning ₹5.45 crore net from 1,949 shows with 39 percent occupancy. The Hindi version collected ₹59 lakh from 1,524 shows, while the Tamil version added ₹14 lakh from 332 shows.
Advance Booking Showed the Warning Signs
The drop was not entirely unexpected. Advance booking for day two stood at ₹9.03 crore, down 62 percent from day one’s ₹23.77 crore at the same 6 AM cutoff. The number of shows also dropped by 2,589, nearly a quarter fewer than the opening day. Trade analysts noted that day one numbers are always inflated by premiere shows, fan bookings, and the initial hype cycle, which does not repeat on a working Friday.
Mixed Reviews Played a Role
The sharp fall comes after the film received mixed to negative reviews from critics and audiences. The Hindu called it an “emotionally distant, epic misfire,” noting that Nani’s physical transformation was striking but the narrative struggled to establish its characters. Filmfare gave it 2.5 out of 5, writing that the film “has fury and scale, but lacks novelty”. Indian Express said Nani’s committed performance anchors the film, but the screenplay relies on a tired template. Some first-day viewers even called it an “epic disaster” on social media.
Telugu Version Remains the Backbone
Despite the drop, The Paradise continues to perform well in the Telugu market. The film has already entered the top 10 highest-grossing Telugu films of 2026, sitting at number six with a two-day total of ₹61–62 crore. It has surpassed films like Maa Inti Bangaaram and Anaganaga Oka Raju. The film has no major competition in Telugu this weekend, which could help it recover.
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About the Film
The Paradise is directed by Srikanth Odela, marking his second collaboration with Nani after Dasara. The period action drama is set in 1980s Secunderabad and follows a marginalized tribe fighting discrimination and struggling for basic rights. Nani plays Jadal, a central figure who becomes a voice for the community. The film also stars Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni, and Raghav Juyal in key roles. Anirudh Ravichander composed the music. Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri and Ishan Saksena under Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas and IVY Entertainment, the film released in Telugu, Hindi, and Tamil on September 24, 2026. It received an A certificate from the censor board ahead of its release.
Stay tuned to VvipTimes for more box office updates on The Paradise and other Telugu releases.
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