Scalp Burns, Stunt Bruises & An Unforgiving World: Natural Star Nani Lifts the Veil on The Paradise, His Primal Alter-Ego ‘Jadal’, and Defying the Ordinary!
Whenever Natural Star Nani steps onto the screen, audiences are accustomed to warm, deeply relatable figures—the neighbor, the ambitious dreamer, the devoted lover. But for his upcoming pan-Indian period spectacle The Paradise, Nani has systematically dismantled his signature screen persona. Collaborating once again with director Srikanth Odela under Sudhakar Cherukuri’s SLV Cinemas, the actor has submitted himself to a grueling creative ordeal.
With the worldwide theatrical detonation locked for September 24, 2026, Nani sat down for an extensive, unfiltered press interaction. He opened up about the grueling physical punishment of shooting with heavy braided extensions, why he refuses body doubles even for limb shots, the brutal menace of Mohan Babu’s villain, and how the narrative anchors itself around a fierce maternal bond.
"Jadal Is An Alien Force": Breaking Out of the Relatable Mold
Reflecting on his menacing, dreadlocked persona, Nani shared that the character was born completely out of the world’s harsh socio-political fabric:
*"Every character I have played so far felt like someone you knew—a neighbor, a colleague, a familiar face. But 'Jadal' was not raised in civilized society. He carries an innate madness from the very first frame that will hit the audience with genuine shock value.
A character like this has never existed in Telugu cinema, and seeing me inhabit it makes the experience completely fresh. The look isn't cosmetic; it is identity. In the film, the nose ring, the neck chains, and the forehead mark belong to the marginalized 'Savari' tribe. If someone is forcibly dragged into that community and tattooed, they become a Savari for life. It took an hour and forty minutes just to get into the prosthetic makeup and hair every single day."*
— Nani
Zero Stunt Doubles, Rope Tangles & 36-Hour Continuous Schedules
Dispelling any notion that big-screen action relies purely on VFX magic, Nani revealed the intense bodily toll the film demanded:
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Refusing Body Doubles: "I tell my direction team explicitly—whether it is a tight insert shot of a hand, a foot landing on the ground, or a massive mid-air collision, I will perform it myself. If I sit in a theatre and spot a stunt double doing my shot, I cannot accept the applause with a clean conscience. Perhaps in 15 years I might concede to a duplicate, but right now, my body and passion won't allow it."
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The Agony of the Braids: "We shot continuous schedules lasting up to 36 hours. My scalp would turn completely red and inflamed under the braided weight. To make matters worse, almost every action sequence involved complex rope-and-wire rigging. During high-speed aerial stunts, my long braided hair would wrap around the metal ropes, jerking my neck violently. The fight masters used to look at me with sheer pity, wondering how I was tolerating the physical pain. This is hands down the most grueling film of my career."
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Mud and Rain: Laughing about the grueling shoot, Nani remarked: "Watching the action on screen will be a high, but shooting it was torture! Srikanth threw me into knee-deep mud, relentless artificial downpours, or pitch-black night shoots almost every single day."
The World of 'The Paradise': The Savari Clan’s 1984 Rebellion
Nani clarified that The Paradise is not just an empty action playground, but a deeply atmospheric period universe:
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A Forgotten People (1984–85): Set in the mid-1980s, the story chronicles the forgotten plight of the oppressed Savari tribe inhabiting a secluded territory named The Paradise. Unrecognized by law, stripped of identity, and subjected to murders that don't even register police complaints, their rebellion becomes the blazing furnace of the plot.
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Immersive World-Building: Nani likened the setting's emotional pull to iconic cinematic territories like KGF and Salaar: "Whether such a place exists on a map or not, you will believe every inch of it once the lights go down."
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Mohan Babu's Terrifying Antagonist: "When Srikanth proposed Mohan Babu garu, I wondered if he would ever accept such an uncompromisingly cruel, negative character. But he was ecstatic upon hearing the narration and became the first person to declare that this would be a massive blockbuster. Audiences will be stunned by the sheer ruthlessness he brings to the screen."
A Lingering Mother-Son Hangover & Anirudh's Acoustic Fire
Addressing concerns about whether family audiences can embrace such intense violence, Nani stood firm:
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A Mother-Son Epic at Heart: "The story opens through a mother's voice, centers on maternal conflict, and concludes on a mother-son note. Veteran actress Sonali Kulkarni endured the same mud, rain, and physical grind as the rest of us without a single whisper of complaint. The emotion is so gut-wrenching that 'The Paradise' won't leave your mind for three to four days after walking out of the theatre."
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Anirudh's Unhinged Score: Praising composer Anirudh Ravichander, Nani teased their hat-trick outing: "After 'Jersey' and 'Gang Leader', this film gave Anirudh the canvas to hold audiences by the collar from frame one. Tracks like 'Aaya Sher' and 'Eshu Naagula' set the tone, but my personal favorite—a track I've kept on loop in my car called 'Anjana Anjani'—will drop soon."
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Defending Srikanth's Perfectionism: Responding to chatter about production schedules, Nani drew a sharp line: "Did production delays ever hurt Sukumar garu with 'Pushpa'? Careers are only hurt when filmmakers deliver mediocre output, never when they take time to deliver perfection. Srikanth breathes commercial cinema—he treats mass audiences like gods. When he sees a shot on the monitor and whispers, 'Anna, the theatre is going to shake,' I know we have something historic."
Rounding off with an affectionate note about his son Junnu performing to 'Eshu Naagula' for Vinayaka Chavithi, and teasing energetic dance face-offs alongside Keerthy Suresh, Raghav, and Sampoornesh Babu, Natural Star Nani made it clear: The Paradise is aiming for nothing short of a box-office shockwave this September 24, 2026
