The Paradise is heading to theatres on September 24 with massive buzz surrounding Nani and director Srikanth Odela, but the makers have taken the bold decision to skip a conventional theatrical trailer. Nani confirmed that the team chose to focus on completing the film rather than spend several days cutting a trailer. At the same time, the absence of a trailer could help keep the film’s core plot and major twists under wraps, allowing audiences to experience them directly in theatres. With a teaser and songs already creating strong curiosity, it remains to be seen how this unusual promotional strategy will translate at the box office.
The Successful Examples
There are several notable precedents. Mahanati (2018) reached theatres without a conventional theatrical trailer and went on to become a major critical and commercial success. Geetha Govindam (2018) also released without its planned trailer after the film suffered leaks, yet emerged as a blockbuster. Master (2021) generated enormous hype around Vijay and Vijay Sethupathi and became a major theatrical success, particularly during the pandemic-era recovery. Kabali (2016) similarly relied on teasers instead of a conventional trailer and opened to tremendous hype, although its overall commercial performance fell short of the enormous expectations surrounding it.
Mixed Results Too
However, skipping a trailer has hardly guaranteed success. Gold (2022), starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Nayanthara, deliberately maintained an extremely secretive campaign, with no trailer or conventional promotions, but ultimately underperformed commercially. Mollywood Times (2026) also consciously skipped a pre-release trailer, with director Abhinav Sunder Nayak asking audiences to watch the film without knowing too much about it; despite positive critical response, it ended its theatrical run as a reported flop. With The Paradise now joining this unusual club, the stakes are considerably higher given its scale and pre-release buzz. Whether the strategy protects the film’s surprises or leaves audiences wanting more will become clear after its release.
