In his 16-year career, Naga Chaitanya has firmly established his image as an urban hero, largely playing city boys and backing romantic dramas and comedies. Which is why Chandoo Mondeti’s Thandel, which is based on stories and real-life incidents from the lives of countless coastal Andhra fishermen who were held up as prisoners in Pakistani jails a few years ago, stands as a major landmark in the actor’s filmography.
Naga Chaitanya will be seen playing a rugged fisherman named Raju in the film. The Premam actor mentions that he had always wanted to do films based on real stories, adding, “We don’t get enough real-life stories in Telugu cinema, stories that suit cinematic language. So this was challenging and exciting at once.”
Naga Chaitanya recalls his first reaction when he heard the film’s concept. He shares, “When it first came to me, it was in a documentary-like zone and didn’t have a cinematic screenplay. So it needed more work. I remember telling Bunny Vas gaaru at the Geetha Arts office, and telling him, ‘I know you have kept this story on hold. If it gets developed and finds good shape, let me know’.”
The actor states that a lot of research went into the film before they actually began shooting, including talking to the fishermen from Srikakulam and their families. The actor reflects on his biggest takeaway from those interactions, saying, “It’s their story that’s truly inspiring. Once they go into sea, all the struggles they face. Also, when your life is filled with true love, you can achieve or overcome anything. That’s what the stories of these people taught me.”
The Premam actor describes the experiences of interacting with those fishermen and their families as ‘humbling and grounding,’ adding, “It was very painful to know their experiences, the hardships they had to undergo for their release, due to political reasons.
For instance, a prisoner’s wife was pregnant. He didn’t know when she delivered the baby since the letters take 3 months to reach. By the time he learnt of it, the baby was already born. So the challenges were more emotional than physical.”
During a recent interview, Naga Chaitanya spoke about relating to Raju’s sense of leadership. What challenged him the most, he notes, is portraying the fight his character fought in the Pakistan jail where he was held up for 1.5 years. Elaborating on the same, Naga Chaitanya added, “It was difficult to capture how he withstood the pain over there. The only thing that gave him strength was his love for Satya (Sai Pallavi). That strength is what sailed him through.”
While the trailer promises for Thandel to be a blend of love story and survival drama, Naga Chaitanya reassures that Thandel is primarily a love story. Explaining what sets the film apart in that genre, the actor says, “Every honest love story has pain. That pain is explored very well here, and it brings a certain emotional high.”
He also comments on the patriotic flavour of the film’s trailer, which was released a few weeks ago. The actor clarifies the film’s storyline, stating, “This film doesn’t go in that Indo-Pak or patriotism zone much. We aren’t focusing on the political conflict between the two countries. Instead, our film is more about how this conflict affects the release of the prisoners, who are the primary characters here.”
Naga Chaitanya says that Thandel is his biggest project in every way—be it production scale, budget or the potential for him as an actor. “I have journeyed with this character for over one and a half years. So it’s a mix of both tension and excitement for me right now,” he reflects smilingly.
Produced by Bunny Vas under the banner of Geetha Arts, Thandel hits theatres worldwide on February 7.