Thandel

Thandel (lit. 'Captain of the boat')^[5] is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language romantic action thriller film^[6] written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti.^[7] Produced by Bunny Vasu under Geetha Arts, and starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi.^[8] The film is based on a real-life incident that occurred in 2018, depicting how Pakistani forces captured a fisherman from Srikakulam in international waters.^[9][10]

Thandel
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chandoo Mondeti
Screenplay by	Chandoo Mondeti
Story by	Kartheek Theeda
Produced by	Bunny Vasu
Starring	Naga Chaitanya Sai Pallavi
Cinematography	Shamdat Sainudeen
Edited by	Naveen Nooli
Music by	Devi Sri Prasad
Production company	Geetha Arts
Release date	7 February 2025 (2025-02-07)
Running time	151 minutes[1]
Country	India
Language	Telugu
Budget	₹75 crore[2]
Box office	₹100 crore[3][4]

Thandel was initially scheduled to be released in January 2025, on the occasion of Sankranthi, but was postponed. The film was released in theatres on 7 February 2025 to mixed reviews from critics, who praised the lead cast's performance, visuals and soundtrack, while the narration received criticism. The film has grossed over ₹100 crores worldwide and is the fourth highest-grossing Telugu film of 2025.

Plot

Raju is a brave fisherman from a small village near Srikakulam. Fishing isn't just his job; it's his life and what his family has always done. He's a natural leader and eventually becomes the "Thandel," which means the captain of his fishing boat. Now, Raju has a sweetheart named Satya (played by Sai Pallavi). They've been in love since they were kids, and she's his "bujji thalli," his loved one. Satya, though, worries a lot about Raju's dangerous life at sea. She dreams of him finding a safer job so they can have a peaceful future together. But the sea is in Raju's blood, and he feels he can't just leave it behind. One day, after a bit of a disagreement with Satya about him going to sea, Raju sets sail with his fellow fishermen. Unfortunately, a terrible storm comes out of nowhere and pushes their boat into Pakistani waters. Suddenly, their fishing trip turns into a nightmare! Raju and the other fishermen are captured by the Pakistani authorities. They are accused of being spies, even though they just got lost due to the bad weather. The movie then follows Raju and his men as they face the hardships of being prisoners in a foreign land. It shows their struggle to survive and their longing to return home to their families. Meanwhile, back in India, Satya is heartbroken and desperate. She doesn't know if Raju is even alive. The movie also shows her efforts and the efforts of others to try and get the fishermen released and brought back home. Thandel is not just about the difficulties the fishermen face. It's also a beautiful love story about Raju and Satya. Even when they are far apart and facing tough times, their love for each other keeps them going. It makes you wonder if they will ever be able to reunite after all the challenges they face. The movie also touches on themes of patriotism and the resilience of ordinary people in the face of extraordinary circumstances. It shows the deep connection the fishermen have to their homeland and their unwavering hope of returning. So, it's a mix of a sweet love story, a gripping survival tale, and a touch of patriotism, all inspired by a real incident. Many people who watched it praised the performances of Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi and the beautiful music in the film. .^[11]

Cast

• Naga Chaitanya as "Thandel" Raju
• Sai Pallavi as Koracha Sathya "Bujji Thalli"
  • Baby Sridevi as Young Sathya
• Aadukalam Naren as Lingayya
• Divya Pillai as Chandra
• Karunakaran as Manapuram Murali
• Kalpa Latha as Gowramma, Raju's mother
• Babloo Prithiveeraj as Koracha Somayya, Sathya's father
• Harsha Chemudu as Rambabu
• Prakash Belawadi as Jailer
• Charandeep as Suribabu
• Parvateesam as Eswar
• Mahesh Achanta as Lakshman
• Siva Karthik as Kanakam
• NIthin Prasanna as Sub-jailer
• Reddi Bhanu Prasad as Sentri
• Chitram Basha as Senior Sentri
• Vadlamani Srinivas as Minister
• Naga Mahesh as Local Contractor
• Abhinav Singh Raghav as PA to External Foreign Minister

Production

The filming of Thandel started in December 2023 with the lead cast Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi. The duo earlier acted in the 2021 romantic drama, Love Story. Major portions of the film were shot in Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, and Udupi.^[12][13]

A dance sequence in the film on Lord Shiva, "Namo Namah Shivaya", was shot with a budget of ₹4 crores where 900 trained dancers worked for the song.^[14][15][16]

Soundtrack

Main article: Thandel (soundtrack)

The music of the film is composed by Devi Sri Prasad. The main soundtrack has four songs and additional two songs in the extended soundtrack.^[17]

Release

Theatrical

Initially the film was planned for a Sankranthi festival release in January 2025. Due to some difficulties in shooting permissions and also for uncompromised quality of making, the makers have opted for 7 February 2025 in original Telugu and also dubbed in Tamil and Hindi languages.^{[18][19][20][21]}

The Tamil dubbed version for Tamil Nadu distributed by S. R. Prakashbabu and S. R. Prabhu under Dream Warrior Pictures. The Hindi dubbed version for North India distributed by Jayantilal Gada under Pen Marudhar.

Home media

The satellite rights were acquired by Zee Telugu, while the post-theatrical streaming rights were acquired by Netflix for ₹40–45 crore.^[22][2] The film began streaming on Netflix from 7 March 2025.^[23]

Reception

Critical response

Thandel met with generally mixed reviews from critics.^[24][25]

Paul Nicodemus of The Times of India gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "Thandel is an engaging romantic action drama that delivers on its promise. While there are moments where the narrative could have been tighter, the film’s decent storytelling, moving music, stunning visuals and brilliant lead performances ensure it leaves an impact. If you’re looking for an intense love story with drama, action, and a touch of patriotism, Thandel is worth a watch".^[26] Avad Mohammad of OTTPlay gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "On the whole, Thandel is a deeply moving romantic drama, elevated by outstanding performances from Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi. The emotionally gripping narrative keeps you engaged until the very end, making it a must-watch this weekend. Highly recommended".^[27] Rachit Gupta of Filmfare gave 3.5/5 stars and wrote, "DSP's music and Shamdat Sainudeen's cinematography are highlights of Thandel. Together the music and visuals of this film are at par with any international production one may have seen. But director Chandoo Mondeti's direction and the screenplay don't always convince you of the epic that's unfolding on screen".^[28]

Arjun Menon of Rediff gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "The reluctance to own the romantic tragedy at the heart for superficial thrills prevents Thandel from truly rising".^[29] Avinash Ramachandran of The Indian Express gave 2.5/5 stars and wrote, "But the fact that there was space for just one love story to bloom rather than 22 life stories to come to life is why Thandel is a lovely romance that doesn’t go all the way because it falls short of becoming an effective drama".^[30]

Box office

Thandel reportedly grossed over ₹21.27 crore (US$2.5 million) worldwide in its opening day.^[31] It concluded its theatrical run with worldwide gross estimated to be ₹100 crore.^[3][4]