Just a day before the release of The Paradise, Nani‘s wife, Anjana Yelavarthy, shared a personal note on Instagram, reflecting on her husband’s 17-year journey in the film industry. Posted as a story, featuring a black-and-white photo of Nani with their son Arjun, the note recalled a memory from 2009, well before the couple’s marriage.

“I still remember 2009, when a couple of us bunked college to watch your film, only to find out it didn’t even have a morning show on its release day. I remember thinking how hard it must be for a newcomer to even get a film out there on time,” she wrote.

Reflecting on how far he has come since, she added, “17 years later, seeing people turn up for Paradise simply because of the trust you’ve built, one film at a time, makes us all so emotional and grateful. This ‘Rome’ was definitely not built in a day and I’m a witness to it.”

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Calling every one of his films his “baby,” she wrote, “I’ve watched every film be your baby. Some waddled, some ran, some bumped their heads along the way. Nothing ever mattered. It was still your baby. Tonight, Paradise takes its baby steps.”

She signed off with a wish for the film’s success, tagging his official handle, @nameisnani: “And whatever happens, it’s all going to be good… We’ve got you like no other.”

Nani and Anjana married in October 2012 after dating for five years. The couple has a son, Arjun, born in 2017.

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About The Paradise

Directed by Srikanth Odela, The Paradise marks his second collaboration with Nani after Dasara. The action drama sees Nani play a tribal leader, with the story centring on a marginalised community’s fight against systemic oppression.

The film’s path to release was far from smooth. Originally slated for March 26, it was pushed to August 21, and later postponed again, with the makers citing the need for time to “deliver it” rather than rush the release. Backed by SLV Cinemas and produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri, the film also stars Kayadu Lohar, with Mohan Babu, Raghav Juyal and Sampoornesh Babu.