Nagarjuna says he finally saw son Naga Chaitanya smile during Thandel success meet

Naga Chaitanya attended the Thandel success meet with Sobhita Dhulipala. Nagarjuna went on stage and expressed his gratitude for the film's success.

Updated on: Feb 12, 2025, 12:16:52 IST

By Santanu Das

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Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi-starrer Thandel released in theatres last week. The film has been doing well at the box office, crossing ₹ 40 crore within 5 days of release. The makers of the film hosted a success meet for the entire team on Tuesday, which was attended by the cast and crew. Nagarjuna Akkineni, who was invited as the chief guest at the event, shared that he is very happy for Chaitanya and saw his smile after a long time. (Also read: Sobhita Dhulipala can't stop blushing as Naga Chaitanya calls her ‘bujji thalli’ at Thandel success meet. Watch)

Nagarjuna showered praise on son Naga Chaitanya at Thandel success meet.

What Nagarjuna said

At the success meet, Nagarjuna said that he was not anticipating the response on the day of release. In fact he was at PM Narendra Modi's office that day with the entire family. He said, "It’s been ages since I’ve attended a success meet. I am very very happy. I didn’t carry my phone with me, and I didn’t know how the public was responding to Thandel. Finally, after the meeting, I switched on the phone, and I received relentless phone calls and messages from everyone. It was then I realised how there are scores of Akkineni fans, and how they celebrated this victory as their own. As I said, it has been so long since I’ve been part of a success meet.”

‘I am so happy for Chaitanya’

He went on to praise Chaitanya and said, “I am so happy for Chaitanya. I am so happy to see the smile on his face. Throughout the film he maintained the character, and there were many scenes where he excelled. I have seen my dad deliver such performances in many films. He reminded me of my father."

Chaitanya plays a fisherman from Srikakulam in the Chandoo Mondeti-directorial Thandel. It also stars Sai Pallavi. Produced by Bunny Vasu under Geetha Arts and presented by Allu Aravind, Thandel revolves around the real-life story of fishermen accidentally drifting into Pakistan waters. The film was initially slated for release during Sankranthi but it was postponed to February 7.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

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