Telugu superstar Nani’s much-awaited film, The Paradise, recently made headlines with reports that the release might be pushed due to pending work on the climax and in post-production. However, Nani’s co-star Sonali Kulkarni, exclusively spoke to HT City and clarified that the film will release as per schedule on September 24, 2026: “Yes, it is our promise. We have also announced it on our social media. We are not delaying the release, and we are releasing on the 24th.”

About what caused the delay, the National Award-winning actor is quick to mention that the delay was only because the director wanted to put the best version out there for the audience to watch.

“All I can say is credit to my director’s vision. Srikanth is very particular about the details. The delay was because he wanted to entertain the audience with complete conviction. He didn’t want to compromise on anything. But we are releasing on the 24th, finally,” she explained.

Sharing the screen space with Nani, Kulkarni, 51, is in awe of how humble the actor is. “It was a joy working with Nani. He is a team member. He never treated himself like a superstar. He is not from a filmy background, but he has been an assistant director, and I felt that I was seeing a replica. I am a unit person on set. We bonded on many things. He is a director’s actor. He is humble and carries no weight about his stardom,” said an elated Kulkarni.

The growing anticipation for the film has fans and netizens drawing many parallels between Kulkarni’s character and Ramya Krishnan’s character as Sivagami in S S Rajamouli’s Baahubali series. Dismissing any commonality, Kulkarni mentioned that this is an absolutely fresh character.

“I wish I could tell you a lot more, but you will not be able to compare my character with anybody. This is something you have never seen before... Not necessarily a mother, because nobody called me a mother on the set,” shared the Dil Chahta Hai (2001) actor.

Besides, the actor also exclusively shared an update on yet another Bollywood release. Directed by Madhur Bhandarkar, Kulkarni will also be seen in The Wives Of Bollywood. There have been no formal updates on the film’s release yet; however, Kulkarni shared that the Madhur Bhandarkar directorial will hit the theatres this year. “A fortnight back I saw the trailer, and in their language, it is kick-ass (laughs). It should come in 2026 for sure,” she ended.

For Sonali Kulkarni, Hyderabad has become more than the backdrop to her latest film. Nearly two years into her journey with The Paradise, the actor is learning Telugu, finding comfort in pappu and discovering a new sense of belonging in an industry that has welcomed her warmly. As she makes her Telugu debut in Srikanth Odela’s film alongside Nani, Sonali reflects on matching the intensity of the team, the enduring legacy of Dil Chahta Hai and the many characters she is still eager to inhabit.

The Paradise schedule has left Sonali little time to explore Hyderabad, but the experience has nevertheless given her a strong sense of belonging. “The amount of affection and warmth I keep getting from the Telugu industry — I am overwhelmed,” she says. “The little world I have experienced here feels like paradise, literally.”

Food, however, has offered its own introduction to the city. “I am dying to have some double ka meetha! Earlier, I kept calling it shahi tukda and people here just wouldn’t understand what I was talking about!” she laughs.

On set, it is the pappu that has become her comfort food. “I don’t eat much rice, but I’ve been allowing myself a little indulgence. Maybe twice a week, I’ll have some rice with pappu. It’s become my little comfort food during the shoot.”

Sonali says she was surprised when she was approached for The Paradise, particularly because the team saw her beyond the image created by films such as Dil Chahta Hai, Taxi No. 9211: Nau Do Gyarah and Mission Kashmir.

“When I heard the story, I was all ears. The story has drama and emotions. It’s super special. I just wanted to be part of that story. The intensity Nani and Mohan Babu sir bring to a scene, the passion Raghav brings, and the innocence and beauty Kayadu brings — for me, it was absolutely demanding and challenging to match that energy everywhere,” she says.

Twenty-five years after Dil Chahta Hai, Sonali still finds the milestone difficult to process. Looking back, she remembers the film as “a huge gang of friends making something beautiful” rather than a project anyone expected to become a cultural touchstone. “Dil Chahta Hai has given me my identity. Back then, nobody knew that it was going to create such history or records,” she says.

Its influence, she adds, continues to travel across generations. “My daughter watched it last year. She loved it. She was just 12 years old when she watched it. I am so happy that she liked it,” she shares.

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There’s so much I want to explore as an actor. I feel like I’m entering a very exciting phase of my career. I would love to play an athlete on screen because sport has always been a very real part of my life

- Sonali Kulkarni

Ever since The Paradise was announced with Telugu star Nani, the makers have been pitching it as a global film. The first step towards that goal was to make it accessible. So, the action drama will be released in eight languages, including English and Spanish. Now, it appears that their ambition to go global has yielded another idea. mid-day has learnt that The Paradise’s team has approached Hollywood superstar Ryan Reynolds to come on board as a presenter.

A long shot? Maybe, maybe not. A source reveals that director Srikanth Odela is certain about making the actioner for a global audience. “Naturally, having a Hollywood name attached will heighten the film’s appeal to the international audience,” says the source.

When it came to zeroing in on Hollywood stars, the Deadpool actor was a natural fit according to the makers.

The source reasons, “Given that the film is an action drama with quirky elements, the team felt there could be no one better than Ryan Reynolds as his actioners have a similar feel.” Producer SLV Cinemas and its team have been trying to connect with the star’s team over the past three months. Another insider shares, “It’s in the last two weeks that they finally got access to Ryan’s team. The talks are on.”

Also starring Raghav Juyal in his Telugu debut, The Paradise is slated to release in March 2026 and marks Nani’s second outing with Odela after Dasara (2023).

With back-to-back terrific performances — both on the big screen and OTT — Raghav Juyal has established himself as a dependable actor in Hindi cinema. So, it seems to be the right time for the actor to look towards south. Juyal will be next seen in south star Nani-led The Paradise, which releases in March 2026.

Making his Telugu debut with the action drama, Juyal says he is blown away by director Srikanth Odela’s vision. “Whoever has watched his previous film, Dasara [2023], would know that his vision is impeccable. What he is doing with this film is also so thrilling to experience. The announcement of the film itself was crazy, now wait for my look. You will love it!” he says, adding that he considers himself fortunate to be stepping into a new industry with its top star.

“It’s a treat to work with the natural star! He is amazing. And this is not just in Telugu, but it’s a pan-world film. It’s being made in Spanish and English as well,” says the actor, who plays the antagonist.

Juyal began filming some time ago. He then took a short break to finish the promotions of his latest work, The Ba**ds Of Bollywood, currently streaming on Netflix. He will resume the shoot for The Paradise next week in Hyderabad, where he will be joined by Nani.