Thandel

Thandel (lit. 'Captain of the boat') is a 2025 Indian Telugu-language romantic action thriller film written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti. Produced by Bunny Vasu under Geetha Arts, and starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi. 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. This film marks Chandoo's third collaboration with Chaitanya, and was initially tentatively titled NC23 (meaning Chaitanya's 23rd film). It was officially announced in November 2023 and filming began in December of the same year. Filming locations included Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Mangaluru, Udupi, and Hyderabad. The film's score was composed by Devi Sri Prasad. Shamdat and Navin Nooli were responsible for the film's cinematography and editing, respectively. 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. Despite the criticism, it is a commercial success at the box office. The film has grossed over ₹100 crores worldwide and is the tenth highest-grossing Telugu film of 2025. Chaitanya won the Telangana Gaddar Film Award for Best Actor for this film.