Thandel: Producer explains why the film didn’t have a Sankranthi release
Published on Feb 3, 2025 6:05 pm IST

About Rs. 40 crores are riding on the romantic action drama Thandel, headlined by Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi. The film, based on real-life incidents, is directed by Chandoo Mondeti and presented by Allu Aravind. Everyone wondered why the makers opted for a February release. Fans were disappointed as the film missed out on the lucrative Sankranthi season.

In a recent interview, producer Bunny Vas explained why the film didn’t make it to the festival. He said, “Many questioned me regarding Thandel’s release date. I am a distributor myself. In fact, I distributed two Sankranthi releases. Even if the film is good, we need to make sure it has enough space in the marketplace.”

Bunny Vas added, “There were two biggies and one entertainer for Sankranthi 2025. That entertainer had the Sankranthi word in the title itself (laughs). I spent almost Rs. 80 crores on Thandel. Allu Aravind Garu told me that we shouldn’t be in a position where we need to request theatres. Due to the massive OTT growth, many centers in Andhra and Telangana have become single stations.”

“Almost 11-12 centers in Krishna district have only one theatre. Had we gone ahead with the Sankranti release, we should have shared shows with other films. I will obviously lose a huge chunk of revenue that way. After considering all these options we chose February season, “noted Bunny Vas.