Nani rejects ‘pan-India’ tag, names the double standard
At a Chennai promotional event, the Hyderabad actor questioned why Telugu films need a national label while Hindi films keep their original one.
The Paradise is scheduled for theatrical release on September 24, 2026.
Nani does not want The Paradise called a “pan-Indian” film. At a Chennai promotional event, he questioned why Telugu films receive the label when they travel across India, while Hindi films retain the simpler, more powerful “Hindi film” badge after succeeding in southern-language versions.
He cited Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan and Pathaan, saying their success in Telugu and Tamil did not appear to change how they were identified. “Why is it introduced for the South Indian films? Why isn't it used for Hindi films?” he asked, according to reports of the event.
That is Nani’s criticism, not yet an independently measured industry finding. No dataset establishes how often the label is used across film industries, and the available research does not confirm that Jawan or Pathaan were never marketed as pan-India films. The trade may eventually produce an answer; so far, it has produced a label.
Directed by Srikanth Odela and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri, The Paradise is scheduled for theatrical release on September 24, 2026. Nani says he has consistently asked his teams not to use the pan-India tag for his films. The film will have to travel without the industry’s favourite travel document.