Thandel Review: Leads Deliver, Emotions Don’t

BOTTOM LINE
Leads Deliver, Emotions Don’t

RATING
2.5/5

CENSOR
U/A, 2h 32m

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What Is the Film About?

Thandel is based on the true story of a fisherman who gets lost at sea, is captured by the Pakistani police, and eventually finds his way back to India. However, the core emotion revolves around the couple—Satya (Sai Pallavi) and Raju (Naga Chaitanya). The film explores how the incident at sea impacts their lives, how Satya’s fears come true, and what ultimately happens to their love story.

Performances

Naga Chaitanya plays the title role Thandel Raju, and pulls off a bit of a surprise. Firstly, he is paired with a fine performer like Sai Pallavi, who is in top form. However, Chaitanya comes as a pleasant surprise by showing noticeable visual improvement, which can be considered a leap in his performance, especially through his subtle acting. He delivers a visibly stronger performance compared to his previous films. At no point does it feel forced or overacted, which itself proves how perfectly he owned Raju. Overall, this film will definitely be an addition to his performances. Whether the film as a whole is memorable or not, his performance will undoubtedly add to his career.

Sai Pallavi plays the role of Satya, and needless to say, it’s a walk in the park for her. There’s nothing particularly challenging for her here. She delivers what is required, but the character design and performance feel predictable since we’ve seen her do this before, and it’s not her best. However, she leaves no room for complaint.

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Analysis

Thandel is directed by Chandoo Mondeti, who previously collaborated with Naga Chaitanya twice before returning for the third time with this film.

The movie opens with Sai Pallavi introducing the love track between Satya and Raju. The authentic setting instantly creates a good vibe, drawing the audience in. What follows further grabs attention, with songs like Hilesso Hilessa and Shiva Shiva effectively setting the mood for an emotional love story. However, the build up to Namo Namah Shivaya could have been much better. It appears right after Raju becomes Thandel Raju, but the buildup to it isn’t solid. Had a strong block preceded it, the impact of this song would have been really big.

What follows is an engaging love track between Raju and Satya, with well-written conversations and dialogues. Though the pacing is slow, the interest remains intact, further enhanced by DSP’s music.

While a somber tone sets in, it never feels boring. The train station episode with Chaitanya and Pallavi, along with their performances, keeps things engaging. The interval block and twist ensure the first half remains a decent watch. By this point, a strong foundation for the love story is established, making the audience look forward to a solid emotional journey in the second half to build upon what the director has developed so far.

The second half, instead of cashing in on the strong foundation laid in the first half and elevating the core emotion between Satya and Raju, surprisingly takes a different direction.

Director Chandoo Mondeti deviates from the emotional core and shifts focus to a patriotic angle, introducing unnecessary conflicts within a Pakistani jail. He brings in a random villain-like character that no one cares about and sets up confrontations that move away from the film’s original essence. These fight sequences and conflicts are neither engaging nor fresh enough to justify this shift.

Adding to this, he relies on poorly conceived ideas, such as Sai Pallavi’s Aazaadi protest—how she protests, how she gains media attention, and how a protest song is used in the background. These elements feel almost laughable and out of place in an otherwise authentic emotional story. When telling a story about a couple separated by circumstances, such unrealistic elements simply do not work.

A large portion of the second half is spent on India-Pakistan conflicts, Article 370, and other political themes, which feel like a huge and unnecessary deviation. The film was never intended as a patriotic drama, as established in the first half, yet the director completely loses focus, shifting towards India vs. Pakistan dialogues that add little value. Worse, these scenes fail to strike the right patriotic chord, as they have been seen countless times before.

When it comes to Satya’s (Sai Pallavi’s) arc, the director is unable to make the audience feel her pain. Despite Raju being stuck in a Pakistani jail, her emotional trauma never fully resonates because the narrative prioritizes other elements over her struggle. As a result, even the climax feels unsatisfying—it is more of a convenient, cinematic resolution rather than an organic conclusion. In an attempt to tell an authentic story, such easy cinematic ideas fail to leave an impact or feel refreshing.

One would be surprised by the choices made in the second half for a film that visually and performance-wise aims to be as rooted as possible. The director loses sight of the core essence—the love story’s lifeline—which ultimately derails the narrative. This makes the second half feel lengthy and sluggish.

That said, the entire second half is not bad; there are moments that work. But when the story deviates from Raju and Satya, the core emotion is lost, and that loss is felt throughout second half. This is precisely what happens in Thandel.

Overall, Thandel can be watched once for the fine performances by the lead pair, the intent behind bringing a real-life story to the big screen, and the quality of the music and visuals, but keep your expectations low for a fulfilling, satisfying emotional film by the end.

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Performances by Others Actors

Thandel features a well-known supporting cast, though limited in number. Hindi actor Prakash Belawadi plays a Pakistani jailor in a typical role. While he delivers his performance, the character doesn’t stand out due to the way it is written—it’s just another regular role.

Others like Divya Pillai, Karunakaran, and Mahesh Achanta perform their parts. Karunakaran gets a decent role and does his best with it. However, does anyone dominate among the supporting cast? No. This is mainly because all the roles are written and presented in a routine manner, preventing anyone from truly standing out.

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Music and Other Departments?

Devi Sri Prasad provided the music and background score for Thandel, serving as a backbone and a pillar of strength for the film through his songs and score. He perfectly carries the film’s mood with his songs and BGM. Thandel is yet another example of why DSP remains a top and bankable music director. The film shows his deep understanding of love stories and how he expertly sets the mood through his music and background score. Without a doubt, he is one of Thandel’s biggest strengths.

Cinematography by Shamdat is excellent. He captures the film’s rustic mood perfectly from start to finish, maintaining a consistent visual tone throughout. Apart from DSP, he is another major strength for Thandel in the technical department.

On the other hand, editing by Navin Nooli falls short. Many scenes feel patchy, and the second half, in particular, suffers from noticeable lag, making it feel almost like a three-hour-long film.

Production values by Geetha Arts are very good. The film looks visually impressive, even though the village setting, including the locality and various locations, are minimal. Despite this, the production quality remains solid and visually appealing.

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Highlights?

Naga Chaitanya’s surprising performance

Sai Pallavi’s familiar magic

The film’s visual appeal

DSP’s songs and BGM

Writing, though not entirely

Drawbacks?

Weak second half

Routine, clichéd patriotic episodes

Underdeveloped lead pair emotions

Cinematic shortcuts in a rooted story, including the climax

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Did I Enjoy It?

Yes, to an extent, mainly for the lead pair’s performances and the music.

Will You Recommend It?

Yes, but set realistic expectations.

Thandel Movie Review by M9