Thandel: Naga Chaitanya, Sai Pallavi’s Film Locks A Record Deal Of Rs 40 Crores With OTT Platform, Report

Naga Chaitanya’s Thandel bags an OTT deal

Naga Chaitana and Sai Pallavi’s highly anticipated film Thandel is all set to hit the theatres this year. Marketed as a pan-India release, the film has generated high expectations among audiences with recent behind-the-scenes photos and videos. The buzz is that the film has bagged an OTT deal before its release.

According to a report by trade analyst Ramesh Bala, the much-anticipated entertainer has locked a record deal of Rs 40 crore with Netflix for its streaming rights. With this whopping amount, this is the ‘highest price for a Naga Chaitanya film ever to get from an OTT platform.’

Reportedly, the streaming giant has acquired the rights to the film Thandel in Indian languages, including Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film, which stars Chaitanya, is reportedly based on a real-life event that happened in the Srikakulam region.

Earlier in an interview with Zig Wheels, he said, “Thandel is a film I’ve been working on for quite some time; it’s a very special film for me. Firstly, I’ve never attempted this kind of character or texture. It’s based on some true incidents in 2018 involving these fishermen from Srikakulam. Usually, they go to Gujarat and go fishing from there. On one of their trips, they drifted off into Pakistan’s borders and got caught.”

Chaitanya met the fishermen from Srikakulam who were going through a tough time. He said the film’s love story is inspired by theirs. “Their journey of being in jail for a year and a half and how they come out is what the film is about. It’s an inspiring story. I met these fishermen, spent time with them, and learned about what they went through,” he said, adding, “The love story me and Sai feature in is also genuinely what happened. The real-life couple are now married. His wife fought for these fishermen and motivated the government to bring them back to India. I’m glad I got the opportunity to tell this story,” he said.

Thandel, directed by Chandoo Mondeti, features Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi in lead roles. Produced by Bunny Vasu under the banner of Geetha Arts, the film boasts music composed by Devi Sri Prasad, promising an enthralling cinematic experience for audiences eagerly awaiting its release. Bunny Vyas will produce the project under the guidance of Allu Aravind. For the pre-production, the team ventured into coastal Andhra Pradesh’s Machilesham village in Srikakulam.