The Paradise Nani criticism: Actor and Srikanth Odela respond to divided reactions

Nani has responded to the divided reception surrounding The Paradise, describing the reaction as something he has never experienced across 33 films and 18 years of his career. Rather than dismissing the criticism, the actor said he and director Srikanth Odela saw the intensity of the response as evidence of how strongly audiences were invested in their second collaboration after Dasara.

According to The Indian Express, Nani and Odela discussed the film's reception in a post-release interview, also addressing one of its most criticised scenes and acknowledging that important context was lost during editing. Nani said some of the audience complaints reflected problems the team itself had failed to identify before release, while Odela explained what he had intended the disputed scene to communicate.

• Nani's reaction: He said even negative responses carried “aggressive honesty” and showed audience investment.
• Director's response: Srikanth Odela said a key scene lost essential setup during the edit.
• Collaboration: The Paradise is Nani and Odela's second film together after Dasara.
• Setting: The film takes place in 1980s Secunderabad.
• Release: The Paradise opened on a Thursday.

The Paradise Nani criticism: why he sees the backlash differently

Nani said the intensity of the criticism was new territory for him. He said: "Out of 33 films I made in my 18 years of career, this is the first time I am experiencing something like this. But even when someone says they didn't like the film, there is a passion behind that response, an aggressive honesty. When someone says this didn't work for me with that kind of intensity, it tells you something. We actually took that as a positive."

He linked that reaction directly to the expectations created by his earlier work with Odela. The Paradise follows their successful collaboration on Dasara, and Nani said that history had built a level of trust that contributed to the strength of the response.

He said: "This is how much trust the audience has in me and Srikanth working together. For people to walk into a theatre with that level of expectation, that level of emotion, and react this strongly, it means we built something real. That trust is a positive thing, no matter how the reactions look on the surface."

Nani says the next film has to win over disappointed viewers

Nani also framed the criticism as something that should influence what comes next. Rather than focusing only on viewers who liked The Paradise, he said the next project involving Odela, whether made by the director independently or with Nani again, should also address those who were unhappy this time.

He said: "The next one, whether it comes from Srikanth alone or from both of us together, has to be something where even the people who are upset right now, the ones who are saying they didn't like this film, should walk out of the theatre celebrating. That is what we owe them. The people who loved it should love the next one too. And the people who didn't love this one should have no reason to complain the next time."

His comments present the response to The Paradise as feedback to be carried forward rather than something to be argued away. That approach also shaped the conversation around one particular scene that drew especially sharp objections after release.

Srikanth Odela addresses criticism of the Subbalakshmi scene

Odela has publicly addressed criticism of a scene involving Subbalakshmi, played by Kayadu Lohar, and her mother. The scene includes the mother using a dismissive description of her daughter's acting prospects, played for laughs. The Indian Express reported that audiences and critics described the moment as objectifying, regressive and tonally inconsistent with a film centred on human dignity.

Odela said the intended emotional foundation of the scene did not survive the edit. In the film, Subbalakshmi, also called Subbu, comes from a financially struggling family and wants to become an actress. Unable to find legitimate work in the film industry, she makes suggestive videos of herself and sells them, with her mother's involvement.

Explaining the context he intended, Odela said: "There is no food at home. Nothing at all. The father has left. Those reels and cameras are the only things they have as a means of support. When you have nothing, when there is literally no other way to put food on the table, the daughter uses the one skill she has. And the mother, who has no alternative to offer, facilitates it. Not because she wants to. Because there is nothing else."

What the director says was lost in the edit

Odela said the mother's line was meant to communicate regret about the path available to her daughter, rather than contempt for her. He said: "The idea was that the mother is saying, you ran away from home, had you pursued acting properly, you could have been a great artiste. That is what I meant to convey through that scene. But it got communicated differently on screen. The setup just was not right in the movie."

He attributed the problem partly to editing decisions. "When you are dealing with a film of this length, you end up missing things. Sometimes it is the runtime that forces the cuts. Sometimes we simply miss it ourselves."

Nani made a similar point, saying the payoff had become disconnected from the setup. He said: "The payoff of that scene looks really good on paper. The setup we had written was strong. But during the editing process, the connection between the setup and the payoff broke. The payoff stopped making sense without the setup that was supposed to precede it. That is one of the issues with the film."

He added: "The specific things audiences are pointing out, we somehow missed during the editing. Setting up the scene the right way, giving the audience the proper context before the payoff arrives, that is where we fell short. I genuinely feel that."

The Paradise opening-day audience numbers

During the same interview, the film's Nizam distributor Shashi shared figures for its premieres and first day of regular shows. He said all 25 multiplex shows in Hyderabad on opening day were completely full and gave an approximate combined audience figure for premieres and regular Day 1 screenings.

Measure	Figure
Hyderabad multiplex shows on opening day	25, all 100 percent full
Approximate viewers across premieres and Day 1	8,21,034, or roughly 8.21 lakh
Approximate premiere shows	2,970
Regular shows on Day 1	2,544 to 2,545

The figures describe attendance and show counts rather than the film's overall commercial result. Shashi's comments focused on the scale of viewing across premieres and the first day, as the debate around the film's creative choices continued after release.

What happens next after The Paradise reaction

The Paradise is set in 1980s Secunderabad and follows a marginalised community fighting for recognition against feudal oppression. Nani plays Jadal Zamana, a part he has described as one of the most physically demanding roles of his career. Mohan Babu plays feudal antagonist Shikanja Maalik, while Raghav Juyal plays his son Vikram Maalik. The cast also includes Kayadu Lohar as Subbu and Sonali Kulkarni.

Anirudh Ravichander composed the music, CH Sai handled cinematography and Naveen Nooli edited the film. Sudhakar Cherukuri produced The Paradise under SLV Cinemas. For Nani and Odela, however, the immediate conversation is now centred on how they process the divided response. Both have acknowledged that the disputed scene lost crucial context, while Nani has said the strength of the criticism reflects the expectations created by their earlier collaboration and raises the standard for whatever either of them makes next.

Frequently asked questions

What did Nani say about The Paradise criticism?

Nani said the intensity of the response was unlike anything he had experienced across 33 films in 18 years. He described even negative reactions as passionate and honest, and said he viewed that intensity as evidence of the trust audiences had placed in his collaboration with Srikanth Odela.

Why was a scene in The Paradise criticised?

A scene involving Subbalakshmi and her mother drew criticism from audiences and critics who described it as objectifying, regressive and tonally inconsistent with the film's themes. Srikanth Odela said essential context intended to explain the mother's perspective was lost during editing.

What did Srikanth Odela say about the controversial scene?

Srikanth Odela said the scene was intended to show a financially desperate mother regretting that her daughter had not been able to pursue acting properly. He acknowledged that the setup was not communicated correctly on screen and said editing choices broke the intended context.

How many people watched The Paradise across premieres and Day 1?

The film's Nizam distributor Shashi said approximately 8,21,034 people, or roughly 8.21 lakh viewers, watched The Paradise across premieres and the first day of regular shows combined. He also said the film played approximately 2,970 premiere shows and 2,544 to 2,545 regular Day 1 shows.