Sacnilk pegs the Srikanth Odela film's India net at Rs 61.15 crore over two days, still short of the reported Rs 200 crore-plus budget trade sources are citing.
Nani opened big. Then the film fell hard.
The Paradise, Srikanth Odela's reunion project with the actor after their 2023 hit Dasara, notched the biggest Day 1 of Nani's career, according to Sacnilk, with a net collection of Rs 34.65 crore in India. Day 2 told a different story. The film dropped 57%, collecting Rs 14.90 crore net from 7,049 shows across the country.
Add it up and India net stands at Rs 61.15 crore over two days, with India gross at Rs 72.50 crore. Overseas, the film added Rs 4 crore on Day 2, pushing the total overseas gross to Rs 26 crore. Worldwide gross is now at Rs 98.50 crore, just short of the Rs 100 crore mark, and that's barely 48 hours into release.
The numbers look healthy in isolation. They look tighter against what 123Telugu has reported about the film's budget, which the outlet says has crossed Rs 200 crore, with production delays cited as a factor in the rising cost. If that figure holds, a Rs 14.90 crore single day isn't the kind of number that gets a film to profitability fast. Recovery now depends on how the film holds through the weekend and whether word of mouth stabilises the drop rather than deepening it.
And word of mouth has been mixed, which likely explains the steep fall. Reviews for The Paradise have been split down the middle since release. The Free Press Journal's own review gave the film 1.5 stars, calling it "a visual treat for all Nani fans" while flagging a narrative that felt "not-so-relevant and slightly unbelievable." The review went further, suggesting the film might not work for anyone put off by "hardcore violence and spineless action."
That kind of reaction tends to hit Day 2 numbers before it hits anything else, and that's exactly what's played out here. Big Telugu openers with front-loaded fan turnout often see steep corrections once the initial rush settles and audiences start going in on reviews rather than hype. Whether The Paradise settles into a normal decline curve from here or keeps sliding will be clearer by Sunday.
The film's cast includes Mohan Babu, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni and Raghav Juyal, and the pairing of Nani with Odela was always going to draw comparisons to Dasara, a film that built through repeat viewings rather than a single opening burst. The Paradise had the bigger start. It now needs the legs to match, and with a reported budget north of Rs 200 crore, the makers don't have much room for a soft middle weekend.
Day 3 collections, due later Saturday, will show whether the drop was a one-day correction or the start of a longer slide.
Be the first to comment
Join the argument. No password, just your email or a passkey.