Director Chandoo Mondeti succeeds in delivering a heartfelt love story along with capturing the everyday dangers of a fisherman’s life making the viewers empathize with their plight. At the same time typical patriotic elements pull the movie down.
Thandel (Telugu), 07-02-2025, Action, Drama, 2 hours 32 minutes, U/A, Theatre
- Main Cast: Naga Chaitanya Akkineni, Sai Pallavi, Aadukalam Naren, and Karunakaran
- Director: Chandoo Mondeti
- Producer: Bunny Vas
- Music Director: Devi Sri Prasad
- Cinematography: Shamdat Sainudeen
- Rating: 3/5
Many fishermen from both sides of the border drifting into the territory of either India or Pakistan is unfortunately a very common phenomenon.
These people are suspected of being spies and put in jail for a very long time. Chandoo Mondeti focuses on one such tale. This tale however has a happy ending.
For those who don’t know what Thandel means it is a term denoting leader.
Synopsis
At the heart of Thandel is an intense love story between Raju (Naga Chaitanya) and Satya (Sai Pallavi). Raju is a fearless fisherman from the coastal area of Srikulam. Due to his bravery and honesty, Raju is soon honoured with the title of Thandel (leader).
It is a very big honour for Raju but Satya becomes extremely worried about Raju’s safety after a particular incident. She pleads with him to give up fishing forever but Raju is deeply committed to his community of fishermen and his principles.
Despite Satya’s warnings, Raju heads out to the sea and unknowingly drifts into Pakistani waters while saving their countrymen. This turns the lives of Raju and others upside down.
The rest of the movie focuses on how Raju and his men return home and of course whether Raju and Satya have a happy ending.
What works
The best part of Thandel is how Chandoo Mondeti along with the storywriter Kartik Theeda has explored the lives of fishermen. A constant sense of danger while going out on the sea and the huge effect it has on their dear ones has come out very well.
The use of the Srikakulam dialect and the rustic surroundings are a major plus for the movie. There is no sense of artificiality, making the viewers empathize with the daily risks. A sense of brotherhood among the fishing community also comes out strong.
The love story between Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi has a good mix of light and emotionally touching moments. Their initial scenes have a sense of lightheartedness bringing a smile to the viewers’ faces.
At the same time, the build-up to Satya’s conflict and the highly charged emotional moments make the viewers feel for the couple.
The best part of the conflict point is that both Raju and Satya are right in their ways. Raju as a Thandel has a certain duty towards his community. Going out on the sea and capturing fish is very important for the survival of families.
At the same time, Satya’s fears are also valid given her love for him. This has come out very well.
What doesn’t work
A major problem with Thandel is the tried and tested patriotic troupes, with the Pakistani characters mostly a caricature.
A clash between Naga Chaitanya and a Pakistani terrorist suffers on account of weak writing. Prakash Belwadi as the Pakistani jailer is mostly meant to be stern and anxious, both of which he pulls off competently but there isn’t much meat in the role.
Towards the end, there is an abrupt change in his behaviour but it doesn’t register strongly. Similarities with Randeep Hooda’s Sarabjit also pull the down movie, somewhat giving a major déjà vu.
Technical aspects
Devi Sri Prasad’s music and background score is another plus for the movie. Among the songs, “Bujji Thalli” and “Hilesso Hilessa” pack a major punch. His background music is also of a very high order elevating the emotional scenes in particular.
The cinematography of Shamdat Sainudeen is also fantastic. He does a brilliant job of capturing both the rustic surroundings and also a thrilling portion involving the sea.
Performances
Both Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi deliver first-rate performances. Their acting along with the chemistry majorly keeps the movie afloat even when the second half goes into a mundane territory.
In the last few years, Naga Chaitanya has delivered some outstanding performances in the movie Love Story (2021) and also the web series Dhootha. Thandel is yet another top-notch act from him. He gets into the skin of the role splendidly portraying the various shades.
He looks every inch the rugged fisherman and the fearless Thandel. Naga Chaitanya also expresses his vulnerabilities splendidly when Satya refuses to communicate with him.
Sai Pallavi as Satya is also equally good. She makes the viewers feel the pain of Satya, on more than one occasion. She may across as too stubborn for some but her emotional portrayal of Satya’s inner dilemmas will make the viewers empathize with her concerns.
There is also a deep inner strength which comes out in the second half when Satya takes it upon herself to save the community; Sai Pallavi portrays both these shades wonderfully.
Among the rest, Tamil actor Karunakaran leaves the biggest impact as the empathetic third wheel. There is a genuine honesty to the role and Karunkaran brings that out wonderfully.
Final take
To sum it up, Thandel mostly works as an intense love story, a tighter second half without the patriotic troupes would have made this a more engaging one.
(Views expressed here personal, edited by Sumavarsha)
https://thesouthfirst.com/entertainment/telugu/thandel-movie-review/
