The Telangana Government has approved enhanced ticket prices for The Paradise, which releases on September 24. With this approval in place, bookings are now set to open in Telangana.
The Special Show Rate
A special show has been approved for September 23 at 6:30 PM, priced at ₹500 per ticket.
The Hike Structure, Week By Week
For the main release window, September 24 to 27, single screens get a hike of ₹48, while multiplexes and special theatres get a hike of ₹95. The rates then step down for the following week, September 28 to October 3, with single screens getting a ₹23 hike and multiplexes and special theatres getting a ₹45 hike. These enhanced rates apply for 5 shows per day at each theatre.
Very good move by Mythri to secure the hike a few days in advance and open bookings today itself, avoiding any last-minute rush. Looks like all the permissions-related issues in Telangana have also been sorted. pic.twitter.com/FEYazfzJkj
Alongside the price hike approval, the makers are required to contribute ₹1 crore to the Telugu Film Industry Employees’ Welfare Committee, a standard condition tied to these government approvals for big ticket releases.
With the Telangana hike officially approved and bookings opening, attention now shifts to Andhra Pradesh, where a similar approval is still awaited to complete the picture across both Telugu states.
Nagarjuna’s landmark film King100 has been locked for a Christmas release on December 24, and Balakrishna’s action film Dada has also been announced for the very same date. Both films already have their teasers out, and the anticipation was building even before the two films ended up sharing a release date, a clash that is now a major talking point on its own.
A Third Name Enters The Race
Into this mix comes Kiran Abbavaram, the young actor who has seen strong recent success with Chennai Love Story. He is reportedly set to bring his next film, Reality, into the same Christmas release window, with an official announcement expected to arrive very soon. Notably, Kiran Abbavaram isn’t just acting in Reality, he is also making his directorial debut with the film.
This wouldn’t be the first time Kiran Abbavaram has chosen to release into a crowded date rather than sidestep it. He has done this before with films like KA and K Ramp, both of which released amid direct competition and went on to become among the biggest hits of his career, suggesting he sees a crowded release date as an opportunity rather than a risk.
Speaking at The Paradise promotions, Nani addressed the film’s journey to release, saying that the delay of a film does not affect a career as long as a quality product is delivered in the end, citing Sukumar’s Pushpa as an example of a filmmaker who took his time and was rewarded for it.
The comment isn’t just theory for Nani. The Paradise itself was postponed twice, first pushed from its original March 26 date to August 21 to avoid a crowded clash window, and then shifted again to its current September 24 release. Speaking about how demanding the project has been, Nani revealed hours of makeup, heavy braids, injuries and even 36 hour continuous shoots, and said he performed his own action and risky shots throughout without using a body double.
Praise For Srikanth Odela And The Team
Nani praised director Srikanth Odela’s radical vision, revealing that episodes 1 and 2 are among his personal favourite parts of the film and could leave audiences shocked by their intensity. He said Odela was never focused on box office numbers while shooting, but on creating moments that would make theatres erupt. He also called Anirudh Ravichander’s background score the best of his career, saying it holds the audience from beginning to end. On the cast, he described Mohan Babu’s character as extremely brutal and negative, while praising Sonali Kulkarni for enduring equally challenging shoot conditions.
What He Wants Audiences To Take Home
Nani believes audiences will enjoy the fights, songs and mass elements, but will ultimately carry the mother son emotion home with them, with the film potentially staying in their minds for days after watching it.
Nani also addressed his own approach to his career, saying he isn’t interested in star tags or box office labels. His goal, he said, is to build a filmography he can proudly show his children and Telugu audiences in the future. He added that even though his mother dislikes him doing violent films, The Paradise represents exactly the kind of distinctive and ambitious cinema he wants to be part of.
Nani’s The Paradise is heading towards its September 24 theatrical release with a grand pre-release event scheduled for September 21 at Shilpakala Vedika in Hyderabad. The latest buzz is around Megastar Chiranjeevi potentially attending the event as the chief guest, although his presence has not been officially confirmed. With the film entering its final promotional stretch, Chiranjeevi’s possible appearance could provide another major talking point for Nani and Srikanth Odela’s action drama.
Chiranjeevi’s Earlier Praise For Nani
The possibility of Chiranjeevi attending carries added significance given his earlier appreciation for Nani and Srikanth Odela. After watching Dasara in 2023, Chiranjeevi personally praised Nani’s performance and the film’s filmmaking, while also appreciating debutant director Srikanth Odela. Nani had expressed his gratitude for the Megastar’s encouraging words. The Mega compound, including Pawan Kalyan, had also showered praise on Nani and Dasara, giving the actor strong appreciation from the family before. This history makes Chiranjeevi’s possible presence at The Paradise event particularly noteworthy.
Strong Buzz Ahead Of The Release
Meanwhile, The Paradise is entering its final promotional phase amid considerable pre-release excitement. Its overseas premiere advance sales have reportedly crossed $700,000, while the makers are conducting promotional events across major cities ahead of the September 21 Hyderabad event. If Chiranjeevi does attend, his presence could add another significant boost to the film’s already growing buzz just days before its September 24 worldwide theatrical release.
A clear pattern is emerging this year. Films that did decent to big business at the box office are facing a very different reception once they land on OTT, ranging from mild criticism to outright backlash. Mana Shankara Varaprasad Garu, Anaganaga Oka Raju, Maa Inti Bangaaram, Chennai Love Story, the dubbed version of Karuppu, Lenin, Dacoit, and now even Irumudi, this year’s sensational theatrical blockbuster, have all seen the same story repeat itself after streaming.
There are a few genuine theories worth considering here, and they are not mutually exclusive. One possibility is that some of these films were overperforming at the theatrical box office relative to their actual content strength, driven by hype, star pull, or festive timing rather than the film itself.
Another is that the viewing experience genuinely changes the perception of a film, a big screen with a crowd reacting together can elevate moments that fall flat on a phone or TV screen watched alone
Third possibility is that OTT audiences themselves are simply more critical, arriving without the sunk cost of a ticket already paid for, and with the freedom to pause, skip, or mentally check out the moment something doesn’t work.
For studios and OTT platforms alike, this raises a real question about how much a theatrical hit label is actually worth once a film reaches its second, and increasingly more critical, audience at home.
Soori’s Mandaadi has beaten Suriya’s Vishwanath And Sons in Tamil Nadu in just 10 days, and the gap in how it happened is what makes this genuinely shocking.
Suriya’s Two Very Different Outings
Suriya saw a strong comeback earlier this year with Karuppu, which performed massively across the board and remains the number one grosser in Tamil Nadu this year, with around 160 Cr gross in the state. His very next release, Vishwanath And Sons, told a completely different story. Despite positive reviews, the film simply didn’t click with Tamil Nadu audiences, ending its run with around 55 Cr gross in the state, even as it turned into an overall success worldwide, crossing 200 Cr Plus globally on the back of a superb performance in Telugu and overseas.
This is exactly where Mandaadi’s number becomes shocking. Soori’s film has crossed Vishwanath And Sons’ entire Tamil Nadu total in just 10 days, with a Tamil Nadu gross of 57 Cr. A mid-budget Soori film outpacing a Suriya release in his own home state, within a third of the time, is not a comparison anyone saw coming.
The momentum shows no signs of stopping. Mandaadi is rocking Tamil Nadu and is set to cross the 75 Cr mark in the state. On the worldwide front, the film is crossing the 100 Cr mark today itself, and the bigger question now is how much closer it can get to that number sustained purely on strength in its home markets.
Hanuman Ansh is joining the 350 Cr club today, and with that, it has crossed Peddi’s entire theatrical run to emerge as the third biggest grosser of the year among Indian films.
The top two spots for the year belong to Dhurandhar The Revenge and Border 2. Hanuman Ansh now also has a real shot at overtaking Border 2, which finished its run with around 450 Cr gross worldwide. With the film still running strong, there’s a genuine chance of it adding another 100 Cr from here, which would put Border 2’s number within reach.
The Telugu Version Is Still To Come
Adding to the potential upside, the Telugu dubbed version of Hanuman Ansh hasn’t even released yet. It was originally supposed to arrive on September 18 but got postponed due to some financial negotiations. Once that version does release, it will add further numbers on top of the current tally.
What makes all of this genuinely sensational is the scale it has come from. Hanuman Ansh was made on a budget of just 2 Cr. A film at that budget level climbing into the top 3 grossers of the year, ahead of films made for a fraction of the cost difference, is a rare, near unheard of story in Indian cinema.
The Paradise overseas opening day pre sales have crossed the $700K mark. With four days still to go for the premieres, the film is all set to cross the $1 million milestone even before the shows begin.
A Sensational $2 Million Opening In Sight
There are high chances of the film seeing a minimum $2 million opening overseas, a sensational number by any measure. As the release date draws closer and pre release events take place, the jumps in advance bookings are expected to grow even further in the coming days.
#TheParadise overseas opening-day pre-sales are at $700K! 🔥
With 4 days to go for the premieres, the film is all set to cross the $1 Million milestone even before the shows begin. #Nani + Overseas = Record Openings Always! 🔥💥
After registering all time record 5th and 6th weeks in Indian cinema, Hanuman Ansh is now setting another record in its 7th week. Yesterday, on Day 44, the film delivered a double digit gross collection, a rare feat for any film still running this deep into its theatrical life.
Hanuman Ansh collected ₹12.03 Cr on Day 44, a sharp 92.8 percent jump over the previous day. This takes the film’s total India gross to ₹316.76 Cr after 44 days. With overseas collections adding around ₹25 Cr, the total worldwide gross now stands close to ₹342 Cr.
Collection Details
Amount / Figure
Day 44 Collection
₹12.03 Cr
Growth Over Previous Day
92.8%
Total India Gross (44 Days)
₹316.76 Cr
Overseas Gross
₹25 Cr
Worldwide Gross
₹342 Cr
With a double digit day coming in at this stage of the run, Hanuman Ansh shows no signs of a conventional decline. Every milestone it crosses now writes a new chapter in just how long a genuinely word of mouth driven hit can keep running in Indian cinemas.
Mythri Movie Makers released the Tamil film Modha Rathri in theatres on August 21, the same day they released Ravi Teja‘s Irumudi. The film achieved success in theatres and arrived on Netflix this weekend along with Irumudi in Telugu and other languages. Here’s our detailed Modha Rathri review of this sweet wedding night drama.
Story
The story follows Maruthanayagam (Rishikanth) and Muthuselvi (Anishma Anilkumar), two individuals who enter into an arranged marriage in the village of Thekkur. Maruthu arrives from Dubai on the day of the wedding and barely understands what he is getting into, while both harbor their own reservations.
Things go awry when Muthu makes an unexpected confession, and the rest of the story follows the couple’s night and the unfolding of their journey.
Performances
Rishikanth delivers a natural performance and suits the role very well. Anishma Anilkumar‘s character is silent according to the story, but she has a few strong moments where she shines with her acting and expressions.
Chetan (playing the groom’s uncle/priest), Bagavathi Perumal, Shelly Kishore, Sangeetha Balan, and others are appropriate for their characters.
Analysis
Debutante director Raja Karuppasamy helms Modha Rathri with confidence. The storyline is simple, and the initial moments establish the world with a stamp of nuanced, chaotic characters and dialogues. The film then moves on an interesting note from the moment the wedding takes place.
The lead characters are portrayed as grounded individuals burdened by their pasts, and the events that unfold following the twist on their wedding night keep the narrative consistently engaging.
While the realistic humor serves the film well, some scenes that involve the supporting actors occasionally feel over-the-top. However, the film excels in its portrayal of the societal pressures parents place on their children regarding marriage, particularly for women, which is handled very effectively.
Near the pre-climax, the high-pitched screaming and chaotic fighting between the families feel a bit unnecessary, but the climax again gets things right with subtly handling the emotional touch.
Verdict
Positives
Negatives
Lead characters’ scenes and performances
Over-the-top feel at some places
Well-timed comedy scenes
Some stretched scenes in the latter half
Crucial and effective dialogues
Well-handled climax
Modha Rathri Review: Final Thoughts
Modha Rathri is a well-intended comedy drama with a commentary on societal issues. The film benefits from natural performances from the leads, simple yet effective humor and emotions, though a few scenes feel stretched in its journey. Worth a watch for those who enjoy realistic, grounded storytelling.
