As Naga Chaitanya is awaiting the release of his debut series Dhootha, the makers of his upcoming feature unveiled their title on Wednesday. The film, which went by the title NC 23 so far, has now been christened as Thandel. The announcement comes a day before Chaitanya’s birthday. The actor is turning 37 this year. Thandel is an adjective, referring to qualities ambitious, focused, charismatic and energetic. The title comes with the tagline, ‘The one who anchors his crew, his love and his people won’t care to sacrifice his life’. To the uninitiated, Thandel is a survival thriller based on a set of real life incidents that took place in 2018. Chandoo Mondeti, fresh off the heels of Kartikeya 2’s success, is the writer-director of this film. 

The aforementioned announcement also comes with a poster/first look of its male lead. Naga Chaitanya is seen in a rugged look, sporting a chiseled physique in a tank top. He will be playing the role of a fisherman in the film. Thandel is also his biggest film to date. The makers of the film, including Chaitanya and Chandoo were seen recceing the Srikakulam region and interacting with the locals a couple of months ago. Thandel, which is yet to go on floors, will be shot in a host of original locations. Sai Pallavi is the film’s female lead. She has previously worked with Chaitanya in the Sekhar Kammula directorial Love Story (2021). 

Thandel is presented by Allu Aravind and produced by Bunny Vasu under the Geetha Arts banner. Veteran composer Devi Sri Prasad has been roped in as the music director, with Shamdat and Srinagendra Tangala handling cinematography and production design respectively.