Nani’s The Paradise arrived on Netflix with enormous expectations following a reportedly record-breaking streaming deal. However, the Srikanth Odela directorial has failed to make the kind of impact its price tag demanded. The film recorded 5.3 million views in its first two weeks, finishing third in its opening week (3.3 million views) before slipping to fifth in the second (2 million views) on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Films chart. While the numbers are respectable, they fall short of expectations for such a high-value acquisition.
The comparison with Nani’s previous release, HIT 3, makes matters more interesting. The crime thriller accumulated 6.9 million views in its first two weeks, comfortably outperforming The Paradise by 1.6 million views. Moreover, Hi Nanna and Saripodhaa Sanivaaram have recorded 19.6 million and 12.5 million views respectively on Netflix. The Paradise’s OTT performance also comes amid growing social media trolling, with the film attracting fresh criticism following its digital premiere.
Interestingly, The Paradise emerged as Nani’s career-biggest grosser at the box office. However, its high theatrical business valuations reportedly left distributors with below-average to average returns despite the impressive gross. Its initial Netflix performance has now added another commercial question mark. While two weeks of viewership figures are hardly enough to determine its eventual success, the film has some catching up to do if it is to justify the enormous expectations surrounding its business deals.
