Nani's The Paradise Scores Career-Best Opening, Beats HIT 3 and Dasara
Nani-starrer The Paradise has achieved the biggest opening of the actor's career, surpassing the Day 1 starts of HIT: The Third Case and Dasara. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the action drama opened strongly after building momentum through advance bookings and paid premiere shows ahead of its first regular screenings.
The film, which received an 'A' certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, recorded heavy pre-release ticket sales despite its restricted audience category. Domestic bookings were led by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, while overseas business also added to the early surge before the film's worldwide release on September 24, 2026.
Box Office Collection
On Day 1, The Paradise collected Rs 74.90 crore worldwide gross, including Rs 54.90 crore from India and Rs 20 crore from overseas, as per trade website Sacnilk. Its India nett stood at Rs 46.25 crore across 10,632 shows.
The total put it ahead of Nani's previous biggest opener, HIT: The Third Case, which collected around Rs 38 crore worldwide on its first day, and Dasara, which earned about Rs 36.25 crore worldwide on opening day.
Regional Breakdown
Andhra Pradesh and Telangana contributed Rs 42.50 crore, followed by Karnataka with Rs 6.05 crore, the rest of India with Rs 3.33 crore, Tamil Nadu with Rs 2.55 crore, and Kerala with Rs 0.47 crore, taking the India total to Rs 54.90 crore.
The film opened with a limited preview run on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, generating Rs 13.95 crore gross and Rs 11.60 crore nett across 900 shows with 79.0 per cent theatre occupancy. On its official Day 1 release on Thursday, September 24, screenings expanded to 9,732 shows and brought in Rs 40.95 crore gross and Rs 34.65 crore nett at 49.3 per cent occupancy, taking the cumulative nett collection to Rs 46.25 crore.
StateRegionDay 0 Paid PreviewsDay 1TotalAndhra Pradesh & TelanganaRs 11.00 croreRs 31.50 croreRs 42.50 croreKarnatakaRs 2.05 croreRs 4.00 croreRs 6.05 croreTamil NaduRs 0.80 croreRs 1.75 croreRs 2.55 croreKeralaRs 0.07 croreRs 0.40 croreRs 0.47 croreRest of IndiaRs 0.03 croreRs 3.30 croreRs 3.33 croreIndia TotalRs 13.95 croreRs 40.95 croreRs 54.90 crore
Advance Sales
Before the first regular morning shows on September 24, the film had already crossed the Rs 40-crore gross mark worldwide through global pre-sales and paid premiere shows scheduled for Wednesday, September 23. According to Sacnilk, Hyderabad emerged as the top domestic market, contributing more than Rs 7.40 crore in Day 1 advance sales.
Internationally, overseas distributor Prathyangira Cinemas reported more than $ 1.11 million, or about Rs 10.60 crore, in North American premiere pre-sales alone. The reported figure was more than double the premiere collections of HIT: The Third Case.
India Today gave the film a rating of 2 stars, stating that Nani's performance and Anirudh's music might offer some respite while watching The Paradise, but they cannot compensate for what feels like a lost opportunity for Srikanth Odela. He clearly wants to say a lot about oppression, identity, revenge, and resistance, but in trying to cram too many ideas into one film, he loses sight of the one thing holding them all together — a coherent story.
The Paradise marks Nani's second collaboration with Srikanth Odela after their 2023 action film Dasara. Produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the Sri Lakshmi Venkateswara Cinemas banner, the film features Mohanlal, Sonali Bendre, and Sampath Raj in pivotal roles, with music composed by Anirudh Ravichander.
