Box Office: Can Natural Star Nani Make It Big in Tollywood with Biggies Hit 3 and The Paradise?

With Hit 3 and The Paradise on the horizon, Nani aims to break into Tollywood’s elite club, eyeing the Rs 200 crore mark with his upcoming big-ticket films.

Written by Shanaz Syed , Journalist

Published on Mar 03, 2025 | 07:07 PM IST | 10.9K

Credit: Nani Instagram

For Telugu cinema fans, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark is no longer a benchmark — thanks to the likes of Baahubali, Pushpa, and Kalki 2898 AD, the bar has been raised to sky-high levels. Now, every star is expected to aim for Rs 200 crore or even Rs 500 crore, and the question is — can Natural Star Nani finally break into this elite club?

Nani, who made his debut in 2008 with the romantic comedy Ashta Chamma, has carved a niche as the go-to actor for family entertainers. While his career mostly revolves around heartwarming comedies and relatable family dramas, he has dabbled in action too, with films like Eega, Dasara, and Saripodhaa Sanivaaram. Despite consistent performances and strong content, Nani is yet to join the ‘big league’ where films cross Rs 200 crore worldwide.

His career-best box office performer so far is Dasara, which grossed Rs 121 crore worldwide. Other major hits include Eega (Rs 107 crore), Saripodhaa Sanivaaram (Rs 95 crore), and Hi Nanna (Rs 74 crore). While many actors face extreme highs and lows at the box office, Nani’s strength lies in his consistent success rate. His keen eye for quality scripts — perhaps honed from his early days as an assistant director — ensures that his films rarely turn into disasters. However, the time has come for Nani to take a leap into the next league, and all eyes are on his upcoming films to make that happen.

The first contender is Hit 3, whose teaser, released last week, grabbed attention with its intense vibe, gripping action, and youthful appeal. Directed by Sailesh Kolanu, the film seems packed with all the ingredients to become a blockbuster and finally push Nani into the much-desired Rs 200 crore club.

Adding to the buzz is The Paradise, a grand pan-India project directed by Srikanth Odela. Today’s glimpse, titled Raw Statement, released in seven languages — Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, and Spanish — showcasing Nani in a never-before-seen fierce avatar. Set for release on March 26, 2026, this gritty tale of survival and rebellion could very well be Nani’s golden ticket.

With Hit 3 arriving on May 1, 2025, and The Paradise following next year, Nani’s road to Tollywood’s top tier is officially underway — and fans are ready to cheer him all the way to the box office throne.