Review of Thandel: Naga Chaitanya takes over a movie that excels as a romance but falls short in other ways.

Review of Thandel: The film directed by Chandoo Mondeti, which stars Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi, is a mixed bag, but the love tale is unquestionably good.

Review of the film Thandel: It's been a long time since Tollywood produced a heartwarming love story. Though it has its share of flaws, the love story in Chandoo Mondeti's Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi film Thandel is undeniable. The movie gets off to a good start, stumbles, then eventually gets back on track.

The tale of Thandel
Childhood lovers Raju (Chaitanya) and his bujji thalli (loved one), Satya (Pallavi), hope to be together in the future. The sole problem? Since they are from Matchilesam, which is close to Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, Raju spends nine months of the year fishing near Gujarat. Raju and Satya make every moment matter by making infrequent, aching phone conversations, placing a flag at the lighthouse to indicate his absence, and dozing off in each other's arms when he does get home. However, a failed fishing expedition and a violated promise pose a threat to their relationship.

Review of Thandel
22 fishermen from Srikakulam and Vizianagaram were imprisoned in Pakistan for 13 months after inadvertently entering their seas; this occurrence served as the basis for Thandel. To make the movie work, Chandoo takes the incident and adds a dash of nationalism and a dash of romance. Thandel succeeds as long as it concentrates on the main couple's love; when it concentrates on the fishermen's stay at Karachi Central Jail, it falls short. A title card at the start of the movie says, "Where drama begins, logic ends." And the filmmaker delivers on it.

The act of Naga Chaitanya
In the movie, Chaitanya plays the title role of Thandel, the ship's captain, and the role allows him to fully immerse himself in it. He not only has the appropriate appearance—tanned complexion, messy hair, beard, etc.—but he also lends it a vulnerable quality. In a certain sequence near the end of the movie, Raju finds out something devastating. Chaitanya makes it all convincing as he clenches his chest, sobs uncontrollably, and decides to carry out his duty. His performance also captures your attention amid the film's weak moments. Devi Sri Prasad's music, especially the tune Bujji Thalli, is also helping him along the path.

What isn't effective
Strangely, while Chaitanya excels, Pallavi struggles. She is exaggerated in her expressions of joy in instances where he makes his lover's desire seem real. At first glance, she nearly seems like a manic pixie dream girl because of how melodramatic she is. Fortunately, her performance stabilizes and she delivers what audiences have come to expect of her once the tale finds its stride.

It feels forced to watch Raju and his troops struggle in Karachi, especially when Pakistani detainees disparage India without cause. Additionally, scenes with red tape and Sushila Swaraj (Sushma Swaraj's counterpart) fail to communicate the necessary urgency. Much more effort was required to improve the lead pair's Srikakulam accent. It's obvious and startling when they have trouble speaking while the supporting characters speak it with the laid-back ease it needs.

To sum up
If you're looking for a serious, rational movie that explores the subject in great detail, like the 2016 Hindi film Sarabjit, this isn't for you. Only if you care about the main characters and want their love to succeed would Thandel, which is more of a lighthearted romantic drama, work. Was there a better way? Of course. However, it could be the victory Chaitanya has been seeking for some time.