Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi's latest film, 'Thandel,' directed by Chandoo Mondeti, hit theatres on February 7, 2025. The movie is a love story set against a backdrop of real-life events and is performing well on the silver screen on its opening day.
Initial estimates pointed to the film crossing the Rs 10 crore mark on its first day across all languages in India. According to Sacnilk, the movie made around Rs 10.00 crore India net on its first day for all languages. In Telugu, it made Rs 9.5 crore, Rs 15 lakhs in Hindi, and Rs 5 lakhs in Tamil. Some analysts even suggest that the worldwide collection for the opening day could reach approximately Rs 16 crore.
The film has been particularly strong in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. According to Sacnilk, the advance sales of the film in these regions were around Rs 27.50 crore.
'Thandel' also had a strong Telugu occupancy on its first day, with an overall 53.58%. Breaking it down, the morning shows had 47.04% occupancy, afternoon shows at 44.76%, evening shows climbed to 51.40%, and night shows peaked at 71.10%. While Hindi and Tamil versions had lower occupancy rates with an overall 9.13% Hindi Occupancy and over 9.08% Tamil, the Telugu version clearly led the charge.

Naga Chaitanya seems to have put in considerable effort for this role, spending two years in preparation to authentically portray a fisherman named Thandel Raju. The movie is inspired by true events, focusing on a fisherman who inadvertently finds himself in Pakistani waters, leading to his capture.
On social media, many lauded Naga Chaitanya's performance, with some calling it his best in recent years. Sai Pallavi is also receiving accolades for her performance. DSP's music is another highlight, with many considering it the soul of the film. However, some viewers had issues with the film's story and pacing.