Meet 'Shikanja Maalik,' Mohan Babu as formidable antagonist in Nani's 'The Paradise'

The makers of the much-anticipated film The Paradise starring Natural Star Nani gave the audience a sweet surprise by dropping an explosive poster of the film’s formidable antagonist. The veteran actor Mohan Babu plays the villain in the movie, and the first-look poster introduces him as Shikanja Maalik, a dreaded baddie.

Nani, who plays Jadal in the movie, took to his social media and shared the poster and wrote, “Naam hai ‘SHIKANJA MAALIK’ 🦜 The Dark Lord of cinema rises again 🔥. Bringing back The Legendary @themohanbabu Garu as ‘SHIKANJA MAALIK’ in #TheParadise to reclaim the peak villainism 🦜❤🔥 In CINEMAS 𝟐𝟔𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐇, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔. Releasing in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali, English, and Spanish. (sic)

In the poster, Mohan Babu is seen shirtless with his hand soaked in blood, holding a cigar and dark black glasses that heighten his terrifying aura. The poster perfectly conveys a sense of raw power and violence, expressing the aura of Shikanja.

The veteran actor, Mohan Babu, is making his grand comeback with this film. He will be taking on a menacing, villainous avatar with a rugged look and taking on Nani in a dramatic confrontation.

The Paradise is touted to be yet another cinematic spectacle from Srikanth Odela, showcasing his idiosyncratic vision. It’s indeed the magic of his detailing that has made every creative work of his create immense buzz.

Srikanth made his directorial debut with Dasara, which garnered critical acclaim and became a box office success, crossing the Rs 100 crore mark and emerging as the highest-grossing film in Nani’s career. With just a few films in his filmography, he has already become the talk of the town, and with The Paradise, his stakes are only set to rise.

Backed by Sudhakar Cherukuri under the banner SLV Cinemas, The Paradise is directed by Srikanth Odela with music composed by sensational Anirudh Ravichander. The movie will have its grand release on March 26, 2026, and will be available in eight languages.