Nani’s ‘The Paradise’ Unveils Plot Details: ‘This Is India’s “Mad Max”’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Naman Ramachandran In what’s being positioned as “India’s ‘Mad Max,'” star Nani and acclaimed director Srikanth Odela have unveiled details for “The Paradise,” an examination of societal prejudice set against the backdrop of 1980s Secunderabad.

The film follows a marginalized tribe stripped of their rights who find hope in an unlikely leader — a character described simply as “a bastard” — who guides their fight for citizenship and recognition in a system designed to keep them oppressed. “You don’t need an identity to be a leader” serves as the film’s central thesis, with Odela promising to tackle bureaucracy, oppression and exploitation without the filters typically applied to Indian cinema. “This time, we are not blurring or masking societal taboos,” Odela said. “As a filmmaker, I am committed to presenting the film in its rawest form. ‘The Paradise’ will stand as one of the most authentic, original and unapologetically honest Indian films, carrying immense potential and relevance to resonate with a global audience.” The director, whose 2023 debut “Dasara,” also starring Nani, earned him best director honors from Filmfare, SIIMA, and IIFA — making him the first debut director to achieve this triple crown — seems determined to bring this unflinching vision to international viewers. “If 1,000 of my efforts can make one person from the other side of the world watch my film, I am willing to put in those efforts because my ‘The Paradise’ deserves a global audience,” Odela said.

Nani, known internationally for S.S. Rajamouli’s Neuchâtel International Fantastic Film Festival winner “Eega,” has transformed from a “boy-next-door” actor into a commercial powerhouse under Odela’s direction. “This is India’s ‘Mad Max,’ and I.