The Paradise sold out first, convinced nobody
Nani’s film posted a reported career-best opening, while critics found the screenplay wandering through familiar territory.
The Paradise opened to strong reported demand, while reviews questioned its familiar screenplay.
The Paradise opened to strong reported demand in Telangana, but its reviews have been less willing to declare paradise. Trade estimates cited by India Today put the film’s worldwide Day 1 gross at ₹74.90 crore, including paid previews, with Andhra Pradesh and Telangana contributing ₹31.50 crore on the regular release day. The figures are Sacnilk estimates, not audited producer accounts.
Advance bookings had already crossed a reported ₹50.14 crore, while Nizam distributor Shashi claimed 8,22,134 admissions across nearly 2,970 shows on Day 1 and near-100% occupancy through Sunday. That remains a distributor’s account, not independently verified theatre data. The opening is real enough as a demand signal; the “blockbuster” label can wait for recovery figures.
The reviews broadly agreed on Nani’s committed performance, the production design, action and selected music cues. They also repeatedly found a familiar screenplay, uneven pacing, a weaker second half and thin emotional writing. The Indian Express rated it 2/5 and said the film’s scale had drowned out its specificity. Nani called the release “the most noise a film has made in 2026”. The reviews, less impressed by volume, heard the screenplay underneath it.