Nani-starrer The Paradise is one of the most-anticipated films in India. Directed by Srikanth Odela, the high-octane action thriller is set to release on September 24 in eight languages, generating significant buzz among cinema enthusiasts. National-award-winning actress Sonali Kulkarni, who plays a pivotal role in the film, recently opened up about her character and how audiences will emotionally connect with her journey.
Sonali Kulkarni shares her experience about The Paradise
In an exclusive conversation with Mid-Day, Sonali shared her experience of working on The Paradise, revealing that she learnt Telugu for the film and even dubbed her own lines. She said, “This is the most ambitious project of my life. We are very happy that we are releasing it on September 24. There was a fear among the audience that we would postpone it again because that had happened last year. But we are not postponing it. Here we are with our teaser. It is in my voice, and I like it so much. I have learned Telugu for the film. For me, it’s a very different compliment when a director says, ‘I have done dubbing with a dubbing artist, but I am liking your voice more, so you should do it, so, bring out those emotions.’ And it was a huge compliment for me.”
Sonali Kulkarni on playing Nani’s mother in the film
Sonali plays Nani’s mother in the film, with her character reportedly being described as the “Shivagami of today’s times,” referring to Ramya Krishnan’s iconic role in Baahubali. While talking about her character, she stressed that Sammakka has a story of her own and cannot simply be defined by her relationship with Nani’s character.
The Dil Chahta Hai actress said, “As we all know, we are all human beings, but we have different stories, so we can’t label a person as a hero. Yes, he is a hero, but he is going to have a story; his life is going to unfold. Similarly, in my character, I play Samakka. I have my own life and my own story to tell. Even if you know how to give birth to a baby, your life is gonna be different because your situations are different and your reasons are different. In that sense, my story is filled with many incidents that are unexpected. You are ultimately going to feel angry, unjust; you are going to feel for me and will cheer for me.”
Reflecting on her journey
Having experienced motherhood herself, Sonali said playing a mother to a son in The Paradise offered her a completely different emotional experience. She said, “I have a daughter, and here I am playing a mother to a son. Both are completely different experiences and emotions. In my daughter Kaveri’s school, we have a parents group, and what mothers of boys complain and what mothers of girls complain are totally different.”
Sonali also revealed that she has been portraying a mother on-screen since the early years of her career. “Either way, I started playing mother when I was doing ad films, when I was barely 19-20. Even then, they wanted me to play a young mother, so I was always playing a young mother of a boy who was going to school,” she added.
Sonali Kulkarni also praised Nani’s performance
She further explained how she approached her character Sammakka’s circumstances and understood her perspective as a woman. “Here in The Paradise, I had to understand where we are living, what this fight is all about and what I am thinking as a woman. I feel that once the audience watches the film, be it a man or a woman, they will feel, ‘I want to be a woman like her.”
She also praised Nani’s performance and expressed confidence that his character will strike a chord with audiences. “I guarantee you. And of course, I have never said this before, but everybody is going to say, “I need a son like him. Nani is so good in the film,” Sonali said.
Set against the backdrop of the slums, The Paradise features Nani as Jadal, a fierce tribal leader. His character will face off against Raghav Juyal’s Vikram Maalik.
Exclusive: Sonali Kulkarni on playing Nani's mother in The Paradise
