New South Movie "Thandel"

 

"Thaandel" releasing on 7th February, 2025 is a Telugu romantic action thriller directed by Chandoo Mondeti starring Naga Chaitany and Sai Pallavi in ​​lead roles. The film is inspired by a real life incident of 2018 in which a fisherman from Srikakulam was captured by Pakistani army in an international water park.

Story Evaluation

The story is based on Raju (Naga Chaitany) who is deeply in love with Satya (Sai ​​Pallavi). Against the will of truth, Raju goes out on the pretext of catching Machhali and unknowingly goes to Pakistani jail, where he is arrested. The story describes the tireless efforts to reconnect with Raju amidst many challenges of truth.

Critical welcome

"Thaandel" got mixed reviews from both critics and viewers. Times of India's Pol Nicodemas gave the film 3.5 stars out of 5, calling it "a captivating romantic action drama that delivers on its promise" and highlighting the main roles, music, and visuals. Similarly, OUTPLAY's Awadh Mohammad also gave it 3.5 stars, praising the "superb acting of the serpent's mind and the smooth pace of the action" and praising the story.

In contrast, some critics felt that the film's theme execution was inconsistent. New Indian Express did not say that the presentation of all the scenes was a success, but the film "could not make up its mind about its themes, pace and intentions," which made the viewing experience unenjoyable. Graiatandhr.com reiterated this sentiment, pointing out that although the first part establishes the romance effectively, the depiction of the second part of the events in Pakistan felt "forced" and lacked credibility.

Reactions of the viewers

Reactions of the viewers have also been similarly varied. In a discussion thread on Raidit, viewers expressed both praise and criticism. A reviewer commented that although the film had its own charms, especially in the first part, the portrayal of the Pakistani prison experience was "satisfactory" and "a bit harsh". He also said that the presentation of Naga Chaitani surpassed expectations, there was still scope for improvement.

box office display

After mixing the mixture, the "thaandel" achieved great success. The film is said to have earned more than ₹100 crore worldwide in its first week, making it the fourth Telugu film to earn more in the first week of 2025 and the Indian film to earn the most in the first week of the year.

Availability on OTT

For those who missed watching it in theatres, let us tell you that "Thaandel" will start streaming on Netflix on March 7, 2025. Site rights have been purchased by Zee Telugu.

Conclusion

"Thaandel" presents a mixture of romance, action and patriotism, in which the dramatic performance of Naga Chaitany and the perfect pallave has added a lot of charm to it. Although some aspects of the story were criticized, the commercial success of the film and its availability on streaming platforms have made it accessible to viewers who are interested in experiencing this cinematic portrayal of an interesting real-life event.