Srikanth Odela may be an introvert in real life, but his cinematic vision speaks loud. With The Paradise set for premieres in a few hours, the filmmaker has revealed the deeply personal inspiration behind Jadal’s look.

Sharing a childhood picture, Srikanth revealed that Jadal’s braids and look were inspired by his own childhood. His mother used to grow and tie his hair until he was around five or six, and as he grew older, he imagined how a hero with braids would look on the 70MM screen.

Years later, that childhood imagination has become Nani’s Jadal in The Paradise. “This picture is not just my childhood. This picture is my Paradise,” Srikanth wrote.

With the film arriving in just a few hours, audiences are now waiting to see how the filmmaker has transformed a piece of his childhood into his most ambitious cinematic world yet.