‘Thandel cost more than we expected’

Thandel producer Bunny Vas talks about the shooting challenges for his latest film, Naga Chaitanya’s commitment to the project, and why it’s important to trust a director’s conviction in moments of doubt.
Thandel, the Sai Pallavi-Naga Chaitanya starrer which is slated to release on February 7.
Thandel, the Sai Pallavi-Naga Chaitanya starrer which is slated to release on February 7.
Updated on
2 min read

Bunny Vas, who has produced many mid-budget films in the past few years, is coming up with his next big vehicle Thandel, the Sai Pallavi-Naga Chaitanya starrer which is slated to release on February 7. The producer recalls how it was a conscious move to pursue midscale projects for a certain period, adding, “We follow Allu Aravind gaaru’s vision.

During the Covid phase, Aravind gaaru said ‘let’s not take risks in these 4-5 years, and instead focus should be on going slow and steady.’” Recalling how the Thandel script brought a turnaround in their strategy, the producer states, “When we heard Thandel story, we knew we can spend a certain budget on this project. Still, the film cost more than we expected. Now, after Thandel, our strategy will have a small shift again, which you will also notice with further announcements.”

The production for Thandel was particularly challenging, Bunny Vas notes, stating that almost every scene set against a sea backdrop has been shot on live locations over 30 days. He adds, “There was only one storm scene where he had to use CGI.

Otherwise everything else has been done on location.” The production challenges included erecting a huge Karachi jail set, and recreating the village set-up. Bunny notes, “We had to recreate a village on the Mangalore coast. However, there is no pre-existing filmmaking culture there, Thandel being only second or third film to be shot there. So we had to arrange everything from scratch. This is the most outdoor shoot we have done ever,” he adds with a chuckle.

While on the subject of on-location shoots, Bunny Vas praises Naga Chaitanya for his commitment to the project. He recalls, “When I first told him the story, I specified how this role will require a certain skin-tone, a local slang, and will need to shoot continually at exterior locations. He said, ‘I will work on it.’ I thought he is reacting in his excitement to the story, but Chay surprised us all, the way he moulded himself.”

The Thandel trailer sparked many conversations with some of its dialogues where the protagonist can be heard verbally insulting Pakistan. Bunny Vas reflects on the discourse, adding, “When the writers pen a story, they build a certain conviction about their scenes, dialogues etc. In such situations, we should let the directors be.

If we start restricting them, the film’s flavour will be gone.” Bunny Vas repeatedly states that Thandel is a love story at heart, also mentioning that while the romantic track is fictional, the story and incidents built around fishermen’s lives have all been taken from real incidents and based on the makers’ interactions with prisoners in Pakistani jails.

Directed by Chandoo Mondeti, Thandel is set to release in Hindi and Tamil as well. The producer informs that they have applied for a minor ticket price hike in Andhra Pradesh, and are yet to receive approval for the same. “Digital streaming deal has been locked, so that has helped in partial recovery. However, we are releasing the film on our own, so the onus is on us, to take this risk and recover our money,” he concludes.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com