‘Nani’s braids in Paradise has a connection to my life’

With the release of the teaser for Paradise, viewers have been intrigued by the new muscular and braided look of actor Nani. The actor, whose breakthrough movie was the romantic comedy Ala Modalaindi, breaks away from the mould of the guy-next-door image and has become part of something that looks dark and ominous. Last month, Nani gave us a glimpse into his prep work for Paradise through a photo in which he was seen sweating it out at the gym. We can see the results in the new teaser, where an intense Nani with a muscular build can be seen leading his people with pride.

Talking about Nani’s new look, the director of the movie, Srikanth Odela, said: “Nani is the sort of actor who just comes to the set and becomes the character. It’s very easy for him to grasp the nuances of every role. However, for Paradise, he prepared himself in an elaborate manner. He was learning karate for almost two months. He was also spending 2-3 hours at the gym every other day.”

Apart from the physique, Nani’s braids have generated a buzz. What’s that about? “Well, I cannot reveal much at this stage, but would like to say that the braids have an emotional connection to my life. My mother brought me up in that look till I was in the fifth standard,” adds the director, refusing to divulge anything more. What is the central theme of the movie?

“In every film, we see characters who hail from the positive, bright side of life. Here, I have explored dark characters and emotions. I have tried to show the inhabitants of the dark world and given a glimpse into their lives,” adds Srikanth.