The Paradise Movie Review

Movie Review: ‘The Paradise'

Cast: Nani, Kayadu Lohar, Mohan Babu, Raghav Juyal, Sonali Kulkarni, Sampoornesh Babu, Priyadarshi, and others.

Music: Anirudh Ravichander

Cinematography: CH Sai

Producer: Sudhakar Cherukuri

Writing & Direction: Srikanth Odela

After creating a sensation with the Dasara movie, both Nani and Srikanth Odela teamed up for “The Paradise” which got super hype right from the beginning. As the film hits cinemas today, have a look if it really takes Nani’s career to the next level or not.

STORY:

Jadal (Nani) is born in an identity-less tribe named Savari, and his mother is Sammakka (Sonali Kulkarni). These people are looked down on by all, and they are not even treated like humans. Shikanja Malik (Mohan Babu) rules the area named Paradise where these Savaris live. Fearing him, the establishment doesn’t help the tribe. While the Savaris are fighting for their identity, Jadal harbours resentment towards his mother and stays alone. After a fight with Malik’s son, Jadal changes his opinion and joins his mother’s fight. Did Jadal win in the end? Did Sawari get the identity? is the rest of the story.

NARRATIVE-ANALYSIS:

In Chatrapthi, the hero fights for the rights of immigrants. In KGF, he stands up for the liberation of people in slavery. In Pushpa, the hero fights for his own identity. And in the recent Peddi, the hero fights for the identity of his village. All these stories impressed movie lovers, when presented with little change in backdrop and transported them into a new world. If one is made to feel the emotion in the story, people surely watch it. Taking the same familiar line, Srikanth Odela tried to show ‘The Paradise’ a bit differently. A tribe that has no identity, people that fight for it, a leader born out of that struggle, and everything laced with violence everywhere is what the director opted for; as the violence, hero-villain roles, and the emotion in the story didn’t click, The Paradise fails to meet expectations. Though some blocks are good individually, together, the film disappoints.

There was a time when we couldn’t imagine Nani in a mass avatar, but then he took baby steps towards mass movies, and finally, with Dasara, he impressed with a major Oora Mass role in Dasara. The audience loved it due to the intensity in the performance and the depth in writing. These roles click when there is an emotional connection with them. However, if that’s not there, despite the magic in conceiving and the hero’s efforts, the result is not achieved, which is what happened in The Paradise now. Usually, films elevate the hero when the audience gets a feeling that he should retaliate and fight. Here in The Paradise, the hero keeps on going violent, but the audience doesn’t get moved. As the emotion is missing, these sequences feel exaggerated and over the top. While the director tried to show his story in a raw fashion, he crossed all the boundaries in that process, which makes it tough for the audience to bear a few sequences.

The likes of Nani, Mohan Babu, and Kill movie fame Raghav Juyal, if they get the right roles, usually take films to the next level. Other than Sonali Kulkarni’s mother role, nothing clicked in The Paradise. The more strong villan roles are, the more the hero’s character will click. However, the antagonists are weak here, as it is told that Shikanja Malik is a monster, but that will never be felt, as that fear is never instilled in the audience. His son’s role is pretty weak. With all these weak characters, the hero’s role became weaker. The backstory behind the hero’s “La..Koduku” tattoo is promising, and it captures the mother-son emotion well, becoming a major highlight in the movie. The interval worked out because of that. But at the same time, the agony of Savaris is not shown well. The hero and villain’s conflict is poorly written. The director stumbled in showcasing the pain of the tribe. What Sukumar achieved with the hero’s role in Pushpa, in terms of emotion, Srikanth Odela missed out.

As was said already, some episodes in The Paradise click well, especially the interval block that gives a massive high. The scenes between mother and son worked out well. Action blocks are good. Hero elevations are okay sometimes. However, as violence precedes them, not all sections of the audience will enjoy it. While the first half is good, the second half disappoints. Though we imagine a lot about the Nani and Mohan Babu conflict, in the end it fizzles out. As that failed to click, the second half went for a toss. Poorly elevated Nani’s character, lack of depth in Savari’s revolution, and Yeshanagula’s song timing have ruined the second half. The Paradise is not something expected from the Dasara combination.

PERFORMANCES:

Nani tried hard to do something bigger than his Dasara character, but stumbled. Though he delivered what is needed for the character, Jadal failed to carry that ‘mass’ weight on his shoulders as the role didn’t suit him. Despite getting a mass image in recent times, the weight of this role and its violence makes him distant from the family audience that rolled the red carpet for him. Heroine Kayadu Lohar got a different role, and it clicked, as the director made good use of her glamour. Mohan Babu’s Shikanja Malik failed to meet expectations, and as the character arc is not convincing, it failed to click. Sonali Kulkarni is the best performer in the movie as she dominates Nani too. While Raghav Juyal’s looks worked out, the role is not designed well. Though his acting is good, the role lacks strength. Sampoornesh Babu is just okay in the role of Biryani.

TECHNICALITIES:

Composer Anirudh Ravichander met fans' expectations, as the songs Aya Sher, Yeshanagula, and Sammakka are stunning. Though he composed a loud BGM, at times it sounded odd. Ch Sai’s visuals are good. Production values are top-notch. Despite being a money-pouring producer and an effort-inducing hero, writer-director Srikanth Odela failed to use them. He tried to sugarcoat the same old story and present it anew with his style, but it didn't click, and the director failed to meet expectations.

FINALLY: The Paradise, an overdose of mass

RATING: 2.25/5