What’s it about?
In the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, Raju (Naga Chaitanya) is a fisherman living in a hamlet. He is Thandel, the group’s leader. Bujji (Sai Pallavi) has his heart. While they plan to get married soon, Bujji realizes how the entire community is suffering due to the uncertainty of the fishermen’s lives during their fishing. So, she urges him to leave the fishing profession.
Despite promising her, Raju goes on a fishing trip, and she vows not to talk to him anymore.
However, a storm forces their boat to travel far beyond its usual range, leading Pakistani officials to apprehend Raju and his men. They are put up in a Pakistani jail. Will Raju be able to become a true leader by fighting for him and his group? Will Bujji Thalli ever talk to him again?
Analysis
“Thandel,” directed by Chandoo Mondeti of “Karthikeya” fame, is based on true incidents that took place in Andhra Pradesh.
There have been numerous incidents where Indian fishermen, primarily from Gujarat, have inadvertently crossed the invisible maritime boundary while fishing, leading them to end up in Pakistani jails. One such incident happened to Andhra fishermen as well, which made writer Karthik Theeda pen it into a movie story. Director Chandoo Mondeti took the story and turned it into a film script, which is the basis for this film.
Despite the fact that the narratives are significantly different, the film’s basic screenplay structure is similar to Mani Ratnam’s classic “Roja”. The protagonist in “Roja” gets kidnapped by Kashmir militant organizations, and his wife goes to great lengths to meet with all officials and leaders to secure his release. The protagonist and his men in “Thandel” end up in Pakistan by accident. His lover also helps get him released. But “Thandel” is more of a heroic story, with the male protagonist doing the “heroic action” and the girl only playing a supporting role, as opposed to “Roja,” where the wife was the ‘doer’. Thus, Chandoo Mondeti’s screenplay appears different despite similarities.
The saga of fishermen jailed in a foreign country and their efforts to get released would sound like a documentary had Chandoo Mondeti not created an intriguing love story between the lead pair and a dramatic conflict between them. Chandoo has written the characterizations of the lead pair impressively.
He created the hero as a guy who desires to follow the promise made to his deceased father. His father was a Thandel, and like his father, he rises to Thandel. Therefore, Naga Chaitanya’s character disregards his lover Sai Pallavi’s request to leave his profession. On the other hand, Sai Pallavi lost her mother due to her father’s profession, and she also develops more anxiety and fear about the well-being of Naga Chaitanya after seeing some more deaths in the community. This is the basis for the conflict between the lovers. Chandoo Mondeti has established this part well, and the lead pair with their natural chemistry and performances make the sequences click. Added to that, Devi Sri Prasad’s songs are lilting.
However, Chandoo faces challenges when the drama transitions to Pakistan. The whole episode loaded with excessive jingoism appears bad, with formulaic writing and poor execution.
Though the film comes to its main root towards the climax, many preceding sequences bore us.
Embodying both the strength and vulnerability of his character, Naga Chaitanya portrays the role with so much conviction. Not only does he get the look of the character right, but his dialogue delivery and dialect are appreciable. He has put in lot of efforts and handwork.
Sai Pallavi, despite previously playing similar characters, is natural. The natural chemistry between her and Naga Chaitanya is visible in the film’s romance scenes.
Devi Sri Prasad’s songs—Bujji Thalli, Shiva Shakti, and Hilesso Hilesso—enthral the audience, and his background score strengthens the narration’s emotional thrust. Shamdat’s cinematography enriches the story. The writing, particularly in the second half, could have been more compelling. The screenplay eventually becomes predictable.
Bottom line: “Thandel” is a mixed bag. It is compelling when it relies on the romance part, with both Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi exhibiting natural chemistry, but when the film moves to the drama of fishermen getting caught by Pakistan, it becomes tiresome. Naga Chaitanya’s convincing portrayal and Devi Sri Prasad’s songs are the main strengths, but the uneven second half renders it just an okay watch.
Rating: 2.75/5
By Jalapathy Gudelli
Movie: Thandel
Cast: Naga Chaitanya, Sai Pallavi, Babloo Prithiveeraj, Sundip Ved, Kalpalatha and others
Music: Devi Sri Prasad
DOP: Shamdat
Editor: Naveen Nooli
Art: Srinagendra Tangala
Presents: Allu Aravind
Producer: Bunny Vasu
Release Date: Feb 07, 2025
