So, I watched The Paradise oh man, what a movie, bro; seriously, what a movie! I definitely need to talk about it, but first, let me ward off the evil eye from this blog of mine.
May it be safe from the evil eye of anyone—the filmmakers, the courts, the police, blind fanboys, or my haters—”thu, thu, thu, thu”.
You know, the way they refused to label this a “pan-India” movie during interviews was a good decision, because it really isn’t one.
It’s going to appeal primarily to that specific, dedicated fanbase of Nani. Even the political angle shown towards the end—audiences in the North, East, and West won’t really grasp it.
Only those who understand the context of that political angle will get it.
So, they did the right thing by admitting upfront that it isn’t a pan-India movie. And I went to catch the 12:15 PM show at a single-screen theater, since they didn’t even deem it necessary to release it in multiplexes.
The Paradise Story and Political Context
As for the movie’s storyline, it revolves around a community that has yet to gain recognition and is fighting for its identity and rights. Opposing them are the upper-class elites who rule over ‘Paradise’.
The story moves forward based on this quest for identity—but it races ahead so fast that it doesn’t even look back to see if the audience is keeping up or getting left behind.
Nani and Raghav Juyal Are Seriously Misused
What bothers me the most is how Nani was utilized; while his potential was certainly tapped into and he took on a very different kind of role, the context in which he was used was simply wrong.
And what were the makers thinking when they cast a talented dancer like Raghav Juyal to act opposite Nani?
I know Raghav absolutely nailed his role in the movie Kill, but in this film, I watched that reckless villain persona get completely ruined.
People were laughing when he made his entry; I wouldn’t even repeat the word the person sitting next to me used to describe Raghav’s entrance.
The First Half Almost Made Me Leave the Theatre
So, this is a nearly three-hour-long movie—one that, honestly, could have easily been wrapped up in just an hour or an hour and a half.
It’s the first time I’ve ever walked out of the theater right at the interval. But my brother dragged me back in, insisting, “It’s Nani—he’s going to absolutely kill it in the second half; just watch. Forget about the first half.” I caved—melted like butter—and decided, “Alright, it’s Nani; let’s watch the second half too.”
The Paradise Has Only 20 Minutes Worth Watching
And after the second half… well, I felt like shooting my brother—with a “Santra Goli” (orange candy), obviously.
I just can’t seem to grasp the “mastercraft” of this movie. I’m realizing today that maybe my own brain is the problem—viewing such highly detailed films through the wrong lens.
I think I need to change my glasses—hang on a sec.
So yeah, the first ten minutes and the interval sequence were mind-blowing. And the absolute peak moment of the entire movie was that interval scene.
But the reality is, there were only about 20 minutes of the movie that were actually good; the rest was just… Well, “Martin-level” is bad.
Anirudh’s Music Is Way Too Loud
Anirudh’s music feels loud and forced. Two songs are good, but the background score was so loud that the dialogues were unintelligible in some places.
Hindi Dubbing Actually Makes Nani Better
But speaking of dialogues—I watched the Hindi version, and I’m actually bumping up my rating by one star because of Sanket Mhatre’s dubbing. He really elevated Nani’s rough character with his gravelly tone; that alone deserves an extra star.
The Paradise Review: 1/5 Stars
So, all things considered, I’m giving this movie one out of five stars.
That said, if you want to watch it, definitely go ahead. There’s no profanity or vulgarity—it’s a completely family-friendly movie. And if you’ve already seen it, let me know in the comments what you thought.