Key Points
True story of fishermen accidentally drifting into Pakistani waters
Intense character preparation involving dialect and physical transformation
Collaborative performance with co-star Sai Pallavi
Technical excellence with award-winning crew
'Thandel', starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, is directed by Chandoo Mondeti.
In a conversation with ANI, he said, 'Thandel' means the captain of the ship, the one who leads the entire crew.
"This film is based on a true story. My character Raju is Thandel, who is the leader of the group."
The story revolves around the experience of the fishermen, who accidentally drifted into Pakistani waters during one of their trips.
Throwing more light on his character and the plot of the film, he added, "The fishermen unfortunately in one of the trips drift off into Pakistan waters and are caught by the coast guard and put into Pakistan jail for a year and a half. So, it is their journey throughout and how they come out of this situation. Through all these layers there is a beautiful love story. This is the journey of my character."
On sharing his working experience with Sai Pallavi, he shared, "It's been a great experience. Working with Pallavi is always a pleasure as she brings so much energy to the screen. She complements my performance in so many ways so it has been a wonderful experience."
Naga Chaitanya opened up on how he prepared himself mentally and physically for the role. "Preparation involved both physical and mental. For the film, the physical transformation had to happen with hair, beard, and kind of skin tan the fishermen have. Apart from this, I had to work on the Srikakulam dialect and body language. There is a dance sequence with Sai Pallavi so it also involved a lot of rehearsals and workshops for that."
The film boasts a sound technical crew. Music is by National Award-winning composer Devi Sri Prasad, cinematography by Shamdat and editing by National Award-winning Naveen Nooli.
He also met real-life heroes to know their experiences and understand the nuances of his character. "I went to Srikakulam to meet the real-life heroes and spent time with them. To hear their experiences, memories and challenges is very memorable and influenced me a lot as an actor and human being."
The 'Venky Mama' actor said that he enjoyed working with the director Chandoo Mondeti and said, "We both understand each other very well and he knows my plus and minus points. So he knows how to present the best version of me on-screen."
Produced by Bunny Vasu under the prestigious Geetha Arts banner, with Allu Aravind presenting it. 'Thandel' marks Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi's second on-screen project, following their hit film Love Story. The film will be released on February 7.
