Thandel is a 2025 romantic action thriller Telugu film written and directed by Chandu Mondeti. The film is based on a true incident, which tells the story of a daring fisherman who accidentally goes into Pakistani waters and gets imprisoned there. Naga Chaitanya plays the lead character Rajju “Thandel” in the film, who is known for his fishing life and deep attachment to his village. Sai Pallavi plays Sathya, Rajju’s love interest, who wants to inspire him towards a secure life. The film is a beautiful blend of the hardships of sea life, the depth of love and patriotism. The story takes an emotional and confrontational turn when Rajju and his fellow fishermen are captured by Pakistan. Satya’s struggle to bring back his lover leaves the audience emotional. Music by composer Devi Sri Prasad and the cinematography of the film add to the beauty of the film. ‘Thandel’ is not only a love story but also an inspirational saga of courage, hope and patriotism.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Title | Thandel |
| Language | Telugu |
| Genre | Romantic Action Thriller |
| Director | Chandoo Mondeti |
| Writer (Story) | Kartheek Theeda |
| Screenplay | Chandoo Mondeti |
| Producer | Bunny Vasu |
| Lead Cast | Naga Chaitanya, Sai Pallavi |
| Cinematography | Shamdat Sainudeen |
| Editor | Naveen Nooli |
| Music Composer | Devi Sri Prasad |
| Production Company | Geetha Arts |
| Release Date | 7 February 2025 |
| Running Time | 151 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Budget | ₹75 crore |
| Box Office Collection | ₹100 crore+ |
| OTT Platform | Netflix (from 7 March 2025) |
| Satellite Rights | Zee Telugu |
| Dubbed Versions | Tamil, Hindi |
| Based On | True incident of 2018 involving a fisherman in Pakistan |
Thandel story
Thandel is a romantic action thriller film based on a true incident that happened in 2018. It is the story of a courageous fisherman Raju (Naga Chaitanya) who lives in a small village in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The sea is his life, and fishing is not only his profession but also his passion. The villagers call him “Thandel”, meaning fishing boat captain.
Raju is in love with his childhood friend Sathya (Sai Pallavi), whom he fondly calls “Bujji Thalli”. Sathya loves Raju very much, but she is always worried about the dangers involved in venturing into the sea. She wants Raju to get a secure job so that they can live a peaceful life together.
One day, the two have an argument about going to the sea. Nevertheless, Raju sets out to catch fish with his friends. Unfortunately, a fierce storm sweeps them into Pakistani waters. There, they are captured by Pakistani security forces and charged with espionage.
The film then follows the tumultuous journey of Raju and his companions while they are held captive in a foreign prison. On the other hand, Sathya stays in India and tries to bring Raju back.
Thandel is a story full of courage, love and patriotism that not only shows Raju’s devotion to the sea but also shows that true love and hope can overcome any difficulty.
Movie Review
I didn’t have any special expectations when I went to watch Thandel. But the film surprised me to some extent – though not completely satisfied me. The film is a romantic action thriller based on a true incident. The first half of the film focuses mainly on the love story, in which the chemistry between Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi keeps the film going. This chemistry is the biggest strength of the film, and keeps the audience glued to the screen.
However, when the patriotic angle is added in the second half of the film, the pace and impact of the film both seem to decline. This part is neither new, nor does it make the audience particularly emotional. The climax is also wrapped up very easily, which further weakens the impact of the film.
Naga Chaitanya has shown good progress in his acting in this film. His screen presence also seems to have improved. Sai Pallavi has been impressive as always, but there was not much new in her character, due to which the effect of her acting seemed a bit repetitive. The other co-stars don’t get much scope, and they fail to make a mark in the story.
On the technical side, Devi Sri Prasad’s (DSP) music work is excellent. He proves that he is still one of the best composers in the industry. Shamdat’s cinematography is excellent – the sea and village scenes are captured beautifully. However, the editing is a bit lacking. Especially the second half of the film seems stretched and boring. The editing by Naveen Nooli could have been better. Geetha Arts’ production values are above average, but don’t offer anything new.
Director Chandoo Mondeti has handled the love story part well. Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s romantic scenes show their sensitivity. But the patriotic parts seem forced. This affects the natural pace of the story and lacks the audience engagement.
Conclusion: Thaandel is a film that has some great moments, especially the love story. But the forced patriotic angle and weak second half weaken the film. This film is not going to be remembered for a long time, but it is definitely a decent love story worth watching once.
Movie Trailer
Conclusion
Thandel starts off well and captivates the audience with a heartwarming love story, especially due to Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi’s chemistry. The first half of the film is emotional and relatable, but the second half, which has a forced patriotic angle added, falls short. Technically the music and cinematography are impressive, but the flow of the story and editing could have been better. Overall, Thandel is an average but emotional love story which can be watched once, especially for those who like love stories.