Actor Nani scores biggest career hit as action drama The Paradise crosses Rs 150 crore worldwide

Actor Nani has achieved the biggest box office milestone of his 18-year career as his latest action drama, The Paradise, crossed Rs 150.50 crore worldwide within six days of release. Directed by Srikanth Odela and set in 1980s Secunderabad, the film crossed the Rs 100 crore domestic net mark in India on its sixth day, finishing at Rs 101.50 crore. This marks the first time in a career spanning 33 films that a Nani release has reached the Rs 100 crore domestic milestone, overcoming negative reviews and heavy criticism during its run.

Box Office Run

The film opened with paid previews on September 23, collecting Rs 11.60 crore from 900 shows at 79 percent occupancy. Day one brought in a strong Rs 34.65 crore net across 9,732 shows, though collections dropped 57 percent on day two to Rs 14.90 crore. Day three recovered slightly to Rs 15.25 crore, holding steady through the weekdays. Overseas markets contributed roughly Rs 30 crore in gross earnings over the six-day period.

Comparison With Past Hits

The Paradise has easily outperformed Nani's previous releases. His past collaboration with Srikanth Odela, Dasara, collected around Rs 62 crore net in India and Rs 107 crore worldwide during its entire run. Other recent films like Saripodhaa Sanivaaram brought in Rs 56 crore net in India, HIT: The Third Case collected about Rs 70 crore net, and Hi Nanna earned roughly Rs 45 crore net domestically. The Paradise has already doubled Hi Nanna's lifetime domestic collection in less than a week.

Industry Standing

The film also ranks as the sixth Telugu release to cross the Rs 100 crore worldwide club in the first nine months of 2026. The five preceding titles are Peddi, Mana Shankara Vara Prasad Garu, The Raja Saab, Irumudi, and Ustaad Bhagat Singh. Released in Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil, The Paradise features a cast that includes Nani, Raghav Juyal, Sonali Kulkarni, and Kayadu Lohar.

Context

Box office collections for major Indian regional cinema often experience sharp opening spikes driven by fan anticipation, followed by weekday drops depending on word-of-mouth. Reaching the Rs 100 crore milestone within a week places a film among top-tier commercial performers in the Telugu film industry.