After receiving praise from both critics and fans during its theatrical release, Thandel was released on Netflix on March 7, 2025. Ever since its release, Thandel has become the most watched movie of the week on Netflix. Written and directed by Chandoo Mondeti, Thandel is the story of a fisherman who gets lost at sea and inadvertently drifts into Pakistani waters, leading to his capture and imprisonment in a Pakistani jail. Thandel features Naga Chaitanya and Sai Pallavi in the key roles. Since you have landed on this page, True Scoop assumes that you have already watched the movie on Netflix and are wondering about Thandel True Story or Thandel Real Story. Below is all you need to know about Thandel Real Story
Thandel on Netflix True Story: Who is real-life Raju Thandel?
As mentioned above, Thandel is a true story based on a fisherman named Raju Thandel, played by Naga Chaitanya, who gets lost at sea and inadvertently drifts into Pakistani waters, leading to his capture and imprisonment in a Pakistani jail. Reportedly, the film follows the travails of fishermen belonging to the Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh who accidentally drifted into Pakistani waters while fishing. They were subsequently arrested by the Pakistani authorities and imprisoned and tortured in captivity. According to Koimoi, Thandel's character Raju Thandel is based on the experiences of one Chodipilli Musalayya.
Hailing from Kunduvanipeta village, Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, Chodipilli Musalayya, a fisherman, spent 1 year in Karachi Jail. Musalayya, was tortured for one year after he was captured by Pakistani Coast Guards, while fishing near Okha in Gujarat in November 2000.
New Indian Express, in its report published in 2018, quoted Chodipilli Musalayya, who said, "About 320 prisoners were stuffed in a small room in the prison during night. We did not have the space even to sit in the room, I was not given any clothes in the prison. I had to wear one pair of clothes for the whole year. The prison authorities did not even give us a toothbrush for the entire period. It was a real hell in Karachi prison where I suffered for one year."
Chodipilli Musalayya was among the 25 Indian fishermen who spent one year in Karachi Jail.