Rustic Fury, Mother's Honor & Anirudh's Musical Fire: Natural Star Nani Delivers a Confident Pitch for Pan-India Spectacle The Paradise in Chennai!
Taking his pan-Indian promotional blitz directly into the heart of Tamil Nadu, Natural Star Nani arrived in Chennai alongside director Srikanth Odela and distributor Swaroop for an interactive press meet. Mounted on an extravagant visual scale by producer Sudhakar Cherukuri under SLV Cinemas, their period action saga The Paradise is geared for a massive global theatrical rollout on September 24, 2026.
Addressing the Tamil press with warmth and fluency, Nani spoke passionately about his artistic connection to Chennai, the physical ordeal of sporting braided hair, his golden streak with music composer Anirudh Ravichander, and why The Paradise will redefine the theatrical mass experience.
"Chennai Always Feels Like Home": Nani on Tamil Cinema & Dubbing Standards
Reflecting on his creative inspirations, Nani shared his deep affection for Tamil storytelling:
*"Coming to Chennai always feels like returning home. I grew up watching the timeless films of Kamal Haasan sir, Bhagyaraj sir, and Bharathiraja sir. The Tamil audience has showered me with affection right from my earlier projects, and I carry lifelong gratitude for that warmth.
When taking a film across states, dubbing quality is paramount. The Tamil dubbing for 'The Paradise' has shaped up so naturally and authentically that I can stand before you with absolute conviction. This is easily the most physically and emotionally exhausting project of my career.
Today, everyone in this room greets me as Nani. But I promise you, when I return for our post-release celebrations, you will only call me Jadal."*
— Nani
The Ordeal of the Braids & Saluting Women
Speaking on his unkempt, braided screen look that has gone viral across digital platforms, Nani tipped his hat to women:
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The Weight of the Character: "Carrying those tight braids (jadal) every single day through dust, sweat, and combat choreography during shoot was excruciatingly painful. I only did it for a few months for a character, but women maintain long hair and braids for a lifetime with effortless grace—I truly take my hat off to all women. Audiences are celebrating the raw energy of the look, and that makes every ounce of pain worth it."
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The Female Leads in Focus: Nani commended co-star Kayadu Lohar, noting that she delivered a 100% committed, layered performance as Subbu. He also touched on Keerthy Suresh’s electric cameo and their sensational dance number, teasing that the visual energy in theatres will eclipse what fans saw in the lyrical video.
The Hit Partnership with Anirudh Ravichander
Highlighting his recurring creative bond with rockstar composer Anirudh Ravichander, Nani expressed his pride:
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A Historic Track Record: "My association with Anirudh has yielded career milestones. 'Jersey' remains the most emotionally fulfilling film of my life, and 'Gang Leader' remains a fan favorite. In 'The Paradise', both tracks released so far have turned into chart-toppers. His background score infuses raw electricity into Srikanth’s frames."
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Open to Producing in Tamil: Reaffirming his commitment to regional stories, Nani stated that if gripping, rooted Tamil scripts come his way, he is eager to produce direct Tamil films under his banner.
"A Story of Land, Identity, and a Mother": Director Srikanth Odela
Detailing the emotional core of the film, director Srikanth Odela emphasized that the violence is rooted in visceral emotion:
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The Soul of a Rebel: " 'The Paradise' is not mindless mayhem—it is a revolutionary story. Nani garu plays a rebel fighting for his soil, his people, his cultural identity, and above all, his mother. The mother emotion will strike a deep chord across all languages."
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A Visual Feast: Srikanth commended cinematographer Sai for framing the dark, dusty period environments with lived-in authenticity.
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Distribution Backbone: Distributor Swaroop, who previously released Nani and Srikanth's blockbuster Dasara in Tamil, expressed immense confidence, noting that The Paradise will offer unmatched big-screen highs.
With censor clearances secured and multilingual campaigns firing on all cylinders, The Paradise is set to set silver screens ablaze worldwide on September 24, 2026!
