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'The Paradise' shoot update: Nani joins the sets of Srikanth Odela's directorial

'The Paradise' shoot update: Nani joins the sets of Srikanth Odela's directorial

Time of India8 hours ago

Picture Credit: X
Telugu actor
Nani
has officially joined the sets of his much-anticipated film 'The Paradise', directed by
Srikanth Odela
. The film went on the floors on June 21, and is currently being filmed in Hyderabad.
The makers took to social media and shared a photo of Nani from the sets. Dressed in his character avatar, Nani seems to be playing the role of 'Dhagad', and he is seen placing one foot on a stack of weight plates while gazing across the backdrop with an intense expression. He will be seen in a rugged look with braided hair, as seen in the poster released earlier. The makers have now added some detail with this particular photo, as there's a distinctive fancy anklet watch and glossy green leather shoes.
With the photo, the makers wrote, "THE DHAGAD joins #TheParadise ‍ Natural Star @NameisNani joins the sets of #TheParadise today. Few important sequences related to childhood portions were shot last week. #THEPARADISE in CINEMAS 𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. Releasing in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, English, and Spanish. Natural Star @NameisNani in an @odela_srikanth cinema An @anirudhofficial musical"
The first week of 'The Paradise' shoot was dedicated to filming childhood portions - integral to the storyline.
Now, with Nani stepping in, the project moves into a more prominent phase, filming pivotal sequences involving the main characters.
'The Paradise' marks the second collaboration between Nani and director Srikanth Odela. Their previous outing, 'Dasara' which turned out to be a super hit.
The music for the film is composed by the star musician
Anirudh Ravichander
.
The movie is set to hit theaters on March 26, 2026.

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The silence of the reels: Why Hindi cinema never faced the Emergency
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The so-called golden triumvirate—Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand—crafted personas that echoed Pandit Nehru's vision of the self-sacrificing, morally upright everyman. Dilip Kumar's dialogue seemed like leftovers from Nehru's speeches, Dev Anand's rebellious charm served the establishment's romantic socialism, and Raj Kapoor's everyman heroes peddled idealism to the masses. Such intimacy with power set the template. The state could inspire cinema, but never the other way around. When that same state turned authoritarian, the industry found itself unprepared and unwilling to challenge it. In the Emergency years, the machinery of coercion extended directly into the corridors of Bombay. V C Shukla, Indira's information & broadcasting minister, became infamous for exerting his influence over the film industry. Wielding the Maintenance of Internal Security Act like a scythe through the industry, the political establishment wasn't breaking new ground—it was merely weaponising an existing dependency. Kishore Kumar, the mercurial genius whose voice had soundtracked a generation's dreams, was banned from All India Radio and Doordarshan for refusing to perform at a Youth Congress rally. Dev Anand, tricked into attending a Sanjay Gandhi event and asked to praise his 'dynamism', found his films blacklisted when he refused to comply. When he sought an explanation from the I&B Minister, he was told with chilling matter-of-factness that it was 'a good thing to speak for the govt in power.' Shatrughan Sinha , then one of cinema's busiest stars, saw his films banned for the cardinal sin of supporting Jayaprakash Narayan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Unwelcoming Countries in the World, Ranked BigGlobalTravel Undo Gulzar's 'Aandhi', merely suspected of drawing inspiration from Indira Gandhi's life, while most argued it'd taken a few chapters from the life of Tarkeshwari Sinha, was banned for the duration of the Emergency, releasing only after the Janata victory restored a semblance of democratic normalcy. 'Maha Chor' starring Rajesh Khanna casually inserted a 'Vote for Congress' graffiti into a musical sequence. Most telling was the fate of Amrit Nahata's 'Kissa Kursi Ka', a political satire that dared to mock the Emergency's absurdities. All prints of the film were destroyed allegedly by Sanjay Gandhi at a factory in Gurgaon. This was not subtext—it was brazen collusion between art and authority. Yet what happened after the Emergency lifted reveals the true depths of the industry's moral bankruptcy. When the time came to reckon with the period—its absurdities, its tragedies, its moral squalor—Hindi cinema fell silent. There was an almost immediate return to sycophantic normalcy. Feroz Khan's 'Qurbani' (1980), the biggest hit of the year when Indira Gandhi returned, opened with a short film eulogising Sanjay Gandhi, narrated by Khan himself as he dedicated his film to the memory of the 'Prince' and bowed in reverence to the 'Mother'. If films between 1977 and 1980 did not address the Emergency, to expect that to happen after Indira Gandhi returned would perhaps be hoping for a miracle. This wasn't just political calculation—it was the instinctive reaction of an industry that had learned to worship power. 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The Emergency may have ended in 1977, but its most lasting victory was psychological: the creation of a cultural establishment that polices itself more effectively than any censor ever could. Perhaps it was simpler to pretend nothing happened. After all, if cinema cannot process a trauma, maybe the nation never really did. (Chintamani is a film historian and author)

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