Is Thandel based on a real-life incodenr? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Thandel is a romantic survival drama film written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti, starring Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles.
The plot of Thandel revolves around the rugged experiences of fishermen from Srikakulam who found themselves accidentally drifting into Pakistani waters during a routine fishing trip.
Yes, this story is not a fictional tale, as this is inspired by the real-life story of Chodipilli Musalayya, a fisherman from the remote Kunduvanipeta village of Srikakulam district.
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Musalayya was among the 25 Indian fishermen who spent one year in Karachi prison. There is no provision for adequate food and proper clothing for Indian prisoners. This was the plight of Indian fishermen who strayed into the territorial waters of Pakistan and got caught accidentally.
Musalayya was captured by the Pakistan Coast Guards while fishing near Okha in Gujarat in November 2000, and he suffered for one year after he was captured and tortured in the Pakistan jail.
Musalayya, who hails from Kunduvanipeta village of Srikakulam district, migrated to Okha in Gujarat in August 2000 in search of livelihood. This was right after his marriage when he was just 21 years old.
Back in those days, the fishermen were not equipped with GPS technology and had no clue of how to avoid straying into the territorial waters of neighboring countries while fishing. Musalayya and other fishermen were released from Karachi prison in February 2002.
While Musalayya continued to go to Gujarat for livelihood during the lean fishing season in the Bay of Bengal, five fishermen from Kunduvanipeta had served sentences in Pakistani prisons for straying into the territorial waters.
This spine-chilling story of Chodipilli Musalayya is now being inspired and adapted and will be showcased in the upcoming Telugu film Thandel.
The narrative of Thandel explores themes of love, revenge, courage, and patriotism, weaving together action, drama, and emotion to captivate the audiences.
Thandel is set to release theatrically on 7 February 2025.
For updates on the film, stay tuned to Koimoi’s section Down South.
