I discovered pretty late in life that one doesn’t need to always use the mouse to copy-paste things on a computer. Ctrl C + Ctrl V on a keyboard does the trick efficiently. The Paradise, directed by Srikanth Odela, is the cinematic version of what happens when you copy-paste what countless other films have already done and then hope nobody notices the lack of an original thought.
This film is a frustrating ride through and through. It revolves around an oppressed tribe of people in the 1970s-80s, to which Jadal (Nani) belongs. Shikanja Malik (Mohan Babu) and his ancestors have ruled over Jadal’s tribe, never letting them gain India’s citizenship and depriving them of any rights. Shikanja also tattooed something extremely derogatory on Jadal’s arm when he was a child, which compels him to make his life all about taking revenge. There’s also an emotional mother-son track woven into the story. If you cared enough to count so far, there’s KGF + Peddi already somewhere here. Oh, and Shikanja’s son Vikram (Raghav Juyal) too is Jadal’s nemesis.
The first hour of The Paradise is a film in itself. And no, that isn’t a compliment. There is enough plot and conflict crammed into those 60 minutes to make you wonder if the makers were worried they might not get another two hours to tell the remaining story.
The Paradise also apes Dhurandhar, because the film is divided into chapters. Only, here the chapters serve absolutely no purpose beyond making the film look more important than it is. A love track is introduced randomly, with Jadal’s love interest resorting to making sleazy films at home to pay off her late father’s debt, while her mother takes on the role of the camerawoman. The Paradise works remarkably well as a comedy at moments like these, even though it clearly has no intention of being one.
The world building is equally unimpressive, largely because the underdog story has been sold to us far too many times before. Jadal, Nani’s character, shares a curious connection with crows. Now, where have we seen that before? Ranbir Kapoor’s Shamshera. And then there’s Jadal’s dog who cries for its master in one scene, and suddenly turns into Tuffy from Hum Aapke Hain Koun?, making that iconic run carrying a crucial piece of news.
The second half of The Paradise feels practically unending. And then comes the climax, where a baby is tossed around from person to person as if it were a tennis ball. By this point, this review has unintentionally turned into a roast, because the film itself plays out like a joke.
The Hindi dubbing of the film is sub par.
Performance wise, Nani is average. He gets the mandatory action sequences and slow motion shots, but no amount of swagger can salvage things. Raghav Juyal gets so little screen time that calling it a proper role almost feels generous. He barely gets a chance to make an impression. Sonali Kulkarni’s character as Nani’s mother is equally half baked, with an underwhelming arc.
Anirudh Ravichander’s background score is forgettable.
Overall, for a film called The Paradise, there is little paradise to be found here. What you get instead is a chaotic mash up of familiar ideas and overcooked drama desperately searching for substance. The film clearly wants to be remembered as an epic, but ends up feeling like a parody of everything it is trying so hard to be.