Sukumar’s Assistant + Rathnavelu’s Assistant = The Paradise

Article by Kumar Published on: 3:24 pm, 23 September 2026

The Paradise will be shown to audiences in the next few hours. Starring Nani and Kayadu Lohar in the lead roles, Srikanth Odela directs the film. The movie is releasing without a trailer, but it already has solid buzz. The team is busy with promotions, and one interesting aspect of the film is the special attention it is receiving. The film’s director, Srikanth, is a former assistant to director Sukumar, while the film’s DOP, Ch Sai, is a former’s assistant to Sukumar’s long-time DOP, Rathnavelu.

Sukumar is known for making movies in collaboration with cinematographer Rathnavelu. On any given day, Sukumar’s first choice is Rathnavelu, and he prefers him for his production ventures wherever possible. The director-DOP combination has delivered blockbusters over the decades. Now, The Paradise features the best combination of the director’s assistant and the DOP’s assistant.

Everyone eagerly waiting for The Paradise is talking about the visuals. The entire cast and crew heaped praise on Sai, who has done a brilliant job. Although Sai wasn’t the first choice for the film, he has done an amazing job since taking over the project, as the visuals we’ve seen so far make clear.

Sai debuted in Tamil as cinematographer on Kamal Haasan’s production, Amaran, starring Siva Karthikeyan and Sai Pallavi. Later, he did Now, The Paradise, which marked his Telugu debut, where he translated Srikanth’s vision through his lens. Earlier, Sai worked on an independent Telugu film titled Tatva.

As Sukumar’s assistant, Srikanth made a name for himself and proved his worth with Dasara. Now, with The Paradise, he is on his way to make his mark in Telugu cinema by going raw and rustic to portray a region’s emotions in an uncompromised manner. A director’s fuel is his DOP, and the fight masters Ram-Lakshman duo also revealed during the pre-release event that Sai worked like a director on the film. With both passionate people driving the film forward, the film is already teasing with the few glimpses we got to see.

If the film becomes a big blockbuster, Srikanth could become a star director, and Sai will undoubtedly become the primary choice for many star heroes and big-budget flicks in Telugu.