Hyderabad, September 24, 2026: Telugu cinema has a major release today with The Paradise, starring Nani and Kayadu Lohar, arriving in theatres worldwide. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the action drama has generated considerable attention ahead of its release, with advance bookings and early audience reactions becoming a major talking point in the Indian entertainment industry.
The film's release comes after strong pre-release interest, with advance-booking figures indicating significant demand in several markets. According to NDTV Profit, the film had recorded more than ₹23 crore in India-tracked advance bookings, with over one million tickets booked across thousands of shows before release.
Nani takes the lead role in The Paradise, which is directed by Srikanth Odela. The project has attracted attention because of the combination of Nani's established presence in Telugu cinema and the director's previous work.
The film's promotional campaign has positioned it as an intense action-oriented drama, while Nani has also spoken about his views on commercial cinema during promotional interviews. In a recent interview, he discussed his preference for films that create a strong emotional connection with audiences and referred to movies from earlier decades as examples of that approach.
The Paradise began generating audience reactions through paid premiere shows before its general release. Early responses reported by entertainment publications have been mixed, with viewers commenting on the performances, visual presentation, screenplay and second-half narrative.
The Indian Express entertainment desk reported that early reactions included positive comments about Nani's performance and the film's presentation, while some responses raised criticisms concerning the screenplay and editing.
These early reactions are preliminary and can change as the film reaches a wider theatrical audience.
The film's advance-booking performance has been one of the notable entertainment stories surrounding its release. NDTV Profit reported that more than 1,039,000 tickets had been booked through tracked advance sales, covering thousands of shows and theatres across India.
Advance bookings provide an indication of pre-release audience interest, but they do not by themselves determine a film's eventual theatrical performance. Occupancy and box-office collections will depend on audience response, the number of screenings, regional performance and competition from other releases.
Theatrical releases are not the only focus for entertainment audiences this week. Several new films and series are also arriving on streaming platforms between September 21 and 27.
Among the week's releases is Shaque: Trust No One, featuring Parineeti Chopra in her OTT series debut. The mystery thriller is scheduled to stream on Netflix from September 24. Other new titles include Minerva Academy, Blood Legacy Season 2 and additional international and Indian productions across major platforms.
The expanding theatrical and OTT schedules demonstrate how audiences now have multiple avenues to access new entertainment content during the same release period.
