Nani's The Paradise crosses Rs 7 crore in advance sales across 72,000 tickets

Nani's The Paradise is generating significant buzz with advance bookings crossing Rs 7 crore even before its release. The film's A certificate from CBFC and projections of a Rs 50 crore worldwide opening day add to the excitement surrounding its September 24 theatrical debut.

In Short

• Nani’s The Paradise sold over Rs 7 crore in advance bookings before release
• Day 1 saw 58,000 tickets sold, grossing Rs 3.81 crore with block seats
• Hyderabad leads advance bookings with Rs 1.66 crore for Day 1

There’s a little buzz building around Nani’s The Paradise, and the advance bookings are beginning to show why. With the film still a couple of days away from its theatrical release, audiences have already put more than Rs 7 crore into tickets across its first four days. According to industry tracker Sacnilk, around 72,000 tickets have been sold so far, giving the Srikanth Odela directorial a healthy start before it has even opened.

The biggest chunk of that interest is, naturally, reserved for Day 1. As the September 24 release draws closer, The Paradise is seeing its bookings gather pace across key Telugu markets. At the same time, a fresh A certificate from the CBFC has added another talking point just days before its premiere shows.

Day 1 is doing the heavy lifting

The opening day is where the real rush is visible. For September 24, The Paradise sold around roughly 58,000 tickets across 1,029 shows. The gross crossed Rs 1.25 crore without block seats. With block seats included, the Day 1 figure rises to around Rs 3.81 crore.

Hyderabad is leading the city-wise advance booking chart by some distance. The city has already contributed around Rs 1.66 crore to the Day 1 gross with block seats. Bengaluru follows with Rs 33.58 lakh, while Vijayawada and Guntur have recorded Rs 15.61 lakh and Rs 12.72 lakh, respectively.

The state-wise numbers paint a similar picture. Telangana has contributed around Rs 2.4 crore in Day 1 advance bookings across versions, followed by Andhra Pradesh at Rs 92.46 lakh. Karnataka stands at Rs 35.04 lakh, while Tamil Nadu has recorded Rs 11.53 lakh.

A separate breakdown for the Telugu 2D version puts its Day 1 gross at Rs 1.25 crore, with 5,776 tickets sold across 1,027 shows. With block seats, that figure stands at Rs 3.81 crore.

The booking curve after Day 1

There’s a familiar pattern once the opening day is out of the way. The numbers drop across the following days, although bookings are still ticking along.

For September 25, The Paradise has crossed Rs 13 lakh, with around 7,000 tickets sold across 504 shows. September 26 has recorded Rs 9 lakh from roughly 4,000 tickets across 474 shows, while September 27 stands at Rs 6 lakh with around 3,000 tickets sold across 439 shows.

These figures are without block seats.

Across the four-day period, however, pre-sales have reached Rs 7.85 crore with block seats, with the film adding Rs 5.15 crore in the last 24 hours. That's a sizeable jump this close to release and leaves the remaining booking window open for the numbers to climb further.

The Paradise gets an A certificate

As the advance booking numbers have picked up, the film has also got its certification sorted. The Paradise received an A certificate from the Central Board of Film Certification, which means it'll be restricted to adult audiences in theatres.

Nani confirmed the development on X, along with a new poster from the film. “Guidelines say A. But the content says Universal. READY. (sic),” he wrote.

The film has reportedly been cleared with a runtime of 2 hours and 49 minutes. The certification comes just days before its September 23 premiere shows and September 24 theatrical release.

For a film that's been building anticipation around its scale and world, the A certificate adds another layer to the conversation just as audiences are beginning to book their seats.

Is Nani heading for his biggest opening?

The advance numbers have inevitably shifted attention towards the film's opening day. According to trade website Sacnilk, The Paradise is expected to earn Rs 50 crore worldwide on Day 1. That projection would put it above Nani's current worldwide opening-day record.

At present, HIT: The Third Case holds Nani's highest opening-day figure at around Rs 38 crore worldwide. Dasara follows with Rs 36.25 crore gross worldwide on its first day.

Whether the early booking momentum translates into the projected opening will become clearer once the film starts playing to audiences. For now, the pre-sales suggest that the curiosity around The Paradise is converting into actual tickets.

The film marks Nani's second collaboration with Srikanth Odela after Dasara. This time, Nani leads a cast that includes Kayadu Lohar, Raghav Juyal, Mohan Babu and Sonali Kulkarni. The Paradise will arrive in theatres worldwide on September 24, with special premieres beginning on September 23.

- Ends