Who is Dhumavati, the mysterious goddess at the centre of Nani's The Paradise?

In Nani's The Paradise (2026), Dhumavati is the Savaris' clan deity, with crows leading them to Paradise, which they believe is their destined home. Srikanth Odela builds her symbolism into the film's world, using rain, smoke and mud to reflect the community's oppression, survival and rebellion.

In Short

• Dhumavati is the Savaris' clan deity, reflecting their hunger, suffering and marginalisation
• Crows, rain, smoke and mud connect the goddess to the community's journey and beliefs
• The idea is rich, but the film does not clearly communicate Dhumavati's significance within the story

Deities have become a familiar part of pan-India films. Guliga and Panjurli in Kantara (2022), Chamundi in Kantara: Chapter 1 (2025), Gangamma Thalli in Pushpa 2: The Rule (2024) and Kaateramma in Salaar: Part 1 - Ceasefire (2023) all sit inside films on a large commercial canvas. Hanu-Man (2024) brought Lord Hanuman into a superhero world, RRR (2022) used Lord Rama references in Ram Charan's character arc, and Kalki 2898 AD (2024) built its story around the Mahabharata. Whether this trend is being overdone is a separate conversation. What is interesting about The Paradise(2026) is the deity it chooses.

Nani may not like calling the film pan-India, but it is clearly designed for a wider audience. At its centre is Dhumavati, one of the ten Mahavidyas and an unusual pick for a mainstream mass film. For director Srikanth Odela, the reason lies in the community he created.

Who is Dhumavati?

Dhumavati is the seventh of the Dashamahavidyas, associated with Shakta and Tantric traditions. Her name comes from the Sanskrit 'dhuma', meaning smoke. One myth says she emerged from the smoke after Sati's self-immolation. Another says Sati, overcome by hunger, swallowed Shiva and was cursed to become a widow.

Across versions, she represents what remains after destruction: the void, suffering, hunger, solitude and the uncomfortable aspects of existence that conventional divine imagery rarely touches. She is linked to cremation grounds and deserted spaces, and the crow is her vehicle. In the belief system Odela researched, rain, smoke and dust are also tied to her emotional state and presence.

A community at the margins

Beyond its mother-son relationship, The Paradise is a story about oppression. The Savaris live in a filthy, muddy settlement ringed by dumping yards, with little food, no social respect and no recognised identity. Even their humiliation is reduced to smell: when approaching outsiders, they carry incense sticks because their body odour is considered unbearable. They are not merely poor but treated as less than human, and the film is about their attempt to revolt against that existence.

Against this backdrop, Dhumavati makes sense as their clan deity.

Following the crows

In a post-release conversation, Odela said that within the film's world, Dhumavati is the Kula Daivam of the Savaris, a community with no official identity but a distinct ritual tradition. This explains why the traditionally nomadic Savaris settle in Paradise and refuse to leave. They believe the crows led them there, and that it was Dhumavati's calling. A place they arrived at becomes, in their minds, a place chosen for them.

That is why crows matter as part of the narrative. Odela says the community's movement follows where the crows travel, so the journey is a sign from their deity rather than simple migration. After generations of moving from place to place, the Savaris believe they have finally found a home in Paradise. That belief explains why they refuse to leave.

Mud, rain and smoke

The symbolism runs through the visual world. Paradise is almost permanently wet and muddy, rain recurs at moments of heightened emotion, and smoke grows in importance towards the climax. Odela has said Dhumavati began as a background element connecting different parts of the story, but became closely tied to the high-emotion moments and the climax. Rain signals her presence, while smoke and dust echo destruction and desolation. The mud, rain, smoke and crows become more than atmosphere. They express one idea: a community living in a place society has rejected, believing the goddess is with them.

Where the film falters

But The Paradise also leaves a frustrating gap. The research and the world-building are there, and Odela's explanation makes the link between Dhumavati and the Savaris far clearer. But much of that understanding comes after watching the interview, not the film, which is a problem when the idea is meant to be embedded in the narrative.

Kantara established the relationship between nature, community, belief and the divine early enough for its confrontation to carry the weight of everything before it. The Paradise does not build Dhumavati with the same clarity. The goddess, crows, rain, smoke and history are all present, but the connections are not always communicated strongly enough for the audience to feel them in the moment. Something with considerable thought behind it can risk looking like a gimmick.

A missed opportunity

That is the biggest missed opportunity. The choice itself is far more interesting than picking a familiar deity for a mass moment. A goddess of hunger, abandonment, destruction and the margins suits a community denied food, dignity, identity and a place in society. Odela's research, the chant, the crows, the rain, the smoke and even the physical details of the Savaris all point to a larger design.

But the audience should not need the director to explain it afterwards. Dhumavati could have been one of the film's most powerful metaphors for the Savaris and their rebellion. Instead, much of that meaning stays buried beneath striking imagery. The idea is there. The film just does not always let us see it.

- Ends