In what’s being positioned as “India’s ‘Mad Max,’” star Nani and acclaimed director Srikanth Odela have unveiled details for “The Paradise,” an examination of societal prejudice set against the backdrop of 1980s Secunderabad.
The film follows a marginalized tribe stripped of their rights who find hope in an unlikely leader — a character described simply as “a bastard” — who guides their fight for citizenship and recognition in a system designed to keep them oppressed. “You don’t need an identity to be a leader” serves as the film’s central thesis, with Odela promising to tackle bureaucracy, oppression and exploitation without the filters typically applied to Indian cinema.
“This time, we are not blurring or masking societal taboos,” Odela said. “As a filmmaker, I am committed to presenting the film in its rawest form. ‘The Paradise’ will stand as one of the most authentic, original and unapologetically honest Indian films, carrying immense potential and relevance to resonate with a global audience.”
The director, whose 2023 debut “Dasara,” also starring Nani, earned him best director honors from Filmfare, SIIMA, and IIFA — making him the first debut director to achieve this triple crown — seems determined to bring this unflinching vision to international viewers.
“If 1,000 of my efforts can make one person from the other side of the world watch my film, I am willing to put in those efforts because my ‘The Paradise’ deserves a global audience,” Odela said.
Nani, known internationally for S.S. Rajamouli’s Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival winner “Eega,” has transformed from a “boy-next-door” actor into a commercial powerhouse under Odela’s direction.
“This is India’s ‘Mad Max,’ and I believe this with utmost sincerity,” Nani said of the project. “The tone and nature of ‘The Paradise’ will be wild, and that wildness will be accompanied by poetic justice.”
Set in a fictional recreation of the Secunderabad area that gives the film its title, early glimpses have already generated substantial buzz among Indian cinema fans.
“The Paradise” features music by Anirudh. The film is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri for Sri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Cinemas, with cinematography by G.K. Vishnu, editing by Navin Nooli, and production design by Avinash Kolla. The screenplay comes from a writing team including Thota Srinivas, Bala Ganesh K, Vinay Sagar Jonnala, Madhava Murthy Bojanapu, Vamshi Krishna Pinnika and Vasanth Masadi, with Jonnala also serving as chief co-director.
The film is scheduled for release on March 26, 2026.
