Nani refuses to label his films as ‘Pan-India’ and shares his thoughts on the trend of using the term for movies released across multiple regions.
Nani is currently busy promoting his upcoming film The Paradise, and during his recent Chennai visit, the actor found himself answering an interesting question about the much-used ‘Pan-India’ tag. When a journalist asked whether he considers his films to be Pan-India movies.
The Paradise is an action drama directed by Srikanth Odela, who previously collaborated with Nani on Dasara. Nani plays the lead role of Jadal, while the film also features Raghav Juyal, Kayadu Lohar, Sonali Kulkarni, Mohan Babu and Sampoornesh Babu in key roles.
The film is produced by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the SLV Cinemas banner, with music composed by Anirudh Ravichander. The Paradise is set in 1980s Secunderabad and follows Jadal, a man from a marginalised community who becomes involved in a larger fight for dignity and recognition.
During the conversation, Nani admitted that he does not fully understand the term ‘Pan-India’ when it comes to South Indian films. He questioned why a film needs a special label simply because it is released in multiple languages or reaches audiences across regions.
To explain his point, Nani brought up Shah Rukh Khan’s films Jawan and Dunki. He pointed out that these movies are generally referred to as Hindi films, even though they reached audiences across India. According to Nani, the same approach could apply to South Indian films instead of automatically calling them ‘Pan-India’ movies.
Nani also clarified that his comments are simply a request and that he personally prefers his films not to be labelled ‘Pan-India’. However, he acknowledged that the final choice rests with the audience and the media, adding that there is only so much an actor can do about how a film is described.
With The Paradise generating buzz ahead of its release, Nani’s take on the ‘Pan-India’ label has certainly added another talking point around the film. While the actor may prefer to keep the tag away from his movies, the way audiences and the industry choose to describe them ultimately remains beyond his control.
