Nani's The Paradise is set to hit theatres, and its early box-office figures indicate that the film could register the actor's biggest opening yet. However, the key question is whether the strong start will be largely powered by the Telugu market or whether the film can attract audiences across India.
According to the latest advance-booking figures from trade website Sacnilk, The Paradise has generated around Rs 18.16 crore gross in India for Day 1, including blocked seats. The film has sold approximately 8.50 lakh tickets across 6,849 shows, recording 37 per cent occupancy and 99 sold-out shows at the time of the latest update.
The market-wise figures present an interesting picture. Telangana has delivered the largest contribution at Rs 9.14 crore, followed by Andhra Pradesh at Rs 5.63 crore. Karnataka, the biggest market outside the Telugu states, has contributed about Rs 2.01 crore. Tamil Nadu has recorded Rs 68.54 lakh, while Maharashtra stands at Rs 20.61 lakh.
The Paradise Day 1 advance bookings
18.16 crore
Latest reported India gross from advance bookings, including blocked seats.
Telugu states
14.77 cr
Outside Telugu states*
3.39 cr
Five listed markets*
97.3%
The outside-Telugu figure represents the balance after subtracting Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The five markets listed above together account for around 97.3 per cent of the reported Rs 18.16 crore India total, with the remaining share coming from other markets.
The figures show that the film's opening remains largely reliant on audiences in Telugu-speaking regions. The larger test will be whether the buzz surrounding Nani, director Srikanth Odela, Raghav Juyal and Anirudh's music can translate into strong theatre attendance beyond the Telugu states.
Trade analyst Ramesh Bala believes there are strong indications of a pan-India opening. He highlighted worldwide pre-sales of more than Rs 43 crore, North American premieres crossing $1 million and Karnataka advances exceeding Rs 1.75 crore. He also said Tamil Nadu was showing positive momentum.
“The pan-India buzz for The Paradise is very strong,” Bala said, adding that the existing numbers suggest the film could give Nani the biggest opening of his career.
The Paradise worldwide opening day prediction
Considering the current momentum, Bala has estimated that The Paradise could collect between Rs 50 crore and Rs 60 crore gross worldwide on its opening day.
“If the final surge and walk-ins match the current buzz, even the higher end of that range is achievable,” he said.
Nani's increasing recognition outside the Telugu market could benefit the film. The actor has become more familiar to audiences across India through films such as Eega (2012), Dasara (2023), Hi Nanna (2023) and HIT: The Third Case (2025), helping him establish a presence beyond Telugu cinema.
Although his films have increasingly been released and watched in several languages, that wider recognition has not consistently produced similarly strong box-office results outside his home market. The Paradise therefore offers another opportunity to determine whether Nani's growing national visibility can translate into actual theatrical footfalls.
Nani's worldwide Day 1 openers
Nani's reported worldwide Day 1 figures can be compared with the current Rs 50-60 crore projection for The Paradise.
24.11 cr
Saripodhaa Sanivaaram
38 cr
Dasara
43 cr
HIT: The Third Case
50 cr
The Paradise projection
0 cr — 20 cr — 40 cr — 60 cr
Choose the projected opening
50 cr | 55 cr | 60 cr
At Rs 50 crore, The Paradise would exceed Nani's existing career-best Day 1 figure of Rs 43 crore by Rs 7 crore.
Previous opening figures: HIT: The Third Case — Rs 43 crore; Dasara — Rs 38 crore; Saripodhaa Sanivaaram — Rs 24.11 crore. The Rs 50-60 crore projection has been attributed to trade analyst Ramesh Bala.
Can The Paradise crack the Hindi markets?
The film carries considerable significance for Nani. His current career-best opening came with HIT: The Third Case, while Dasara also recorded a strong start. The Paradise has been produced on a larger scale and is releasing in several languages, providing Nani with an opportunity to broaden his theatrical reach.
The Hindi market, however, remains the biggest uncertainty. Bala said the film has established noticeable pan-India visibility, although its Hindi advance bookings remain relatively low compared with its performance in the South.
“The Hindi market is where the real test begins,” he said.
Bala believes the film's performance after the first shows, along with audience word of mouth, could decide whether the Hindi version picks up pace over the weekend.
“If the content connects, there is definitely scope for the Hindi version to grow strongly over the weekend and give Nani the breakthrough he has been looking for in this market,” he added.
That makes The Paradise's opening an important indicator of Nani's expanding audience base. Current advance bookings suggest the film is heading towards a career-best start, while Bala has projected a worldwide Day 1 collection of Rs 50-60 crore. Whether it can sustain that momentum and establish a broader pan-India theatrical run will depend on the response from audiences outside the Telugu states after the film releases.
