Nani-starrer The Paradise has received mixed to negative reviews from audiences, with one scene involving Kayadu Lohar’s character Subbalakshmi drawing sharp criticism. The “single-shot actress” reference has been called objectifying and regressive by some viewers. Amid the backlash, director Srikanth Odela and Nani have now reacted to the controversial scene. Odela explained that the emotional setup behind the dialogue was lost during editing.

Srikanth Odela and Nani on controversial scene

In a recent discussion on YT 18's YouTube Channel, Odela addressed the criticism and said the problem was that the emotional setup behind the line was lost during editing. He remarked, “There is no food at home. Nothing at all. The father has left. Those reels and cameras are the only things they have as a means of support. The idea was that the mother is saying, ‘You ran away from home. Had you pursued acting properly, you could have been a great artiste.’ That is what I meant to convey through that scene. But it got communicated differently on screen. The setup just was not right in the movie.”