Naga Chaitanya talks about Sobhita Dhulipala at Thandel trailer launch: ‘Fell in love, married a Vizag ammayi’

Director Chandoo Mondeti’s romantic survival actioner Thandel not only marks Naga Chaitanya’s return to the big screen after nearly two years but is also his first release since his marriage to actor Sobhita Dhulipala. Hence, promotional events for the film have also become occasions where he frequently faces questions about this new chapter in his personal life. Interestingly, the trailer launch of Thandel was held in Sobhita’s hometown of Visakhapatnam (Vizag), Andhra Pradesh, much to the delight of the fans.

At the event, Chaitanya made a special request to the people of Vizag, emphasising how their support was crucial for his prestige. Expressing his deep admiration for the city, the actor remarked that he loved it so much that he married a woman from Vizag. “Vizag is so close to my heart that I fell in love with a Vizag ammayi (girl) and married her. Now, there’s a piece of Vizag at my home too. So, brothers, I have a small request… The box office collection of Thandel in Vizag should be staggering; otherwise, I’ll lose my honour at home,” he said during the trailer launch on Tuesday.

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Chaitanya was previously married to actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu from 2017 to 2021. Post their divorce, he got engaged to Sobhita on August 8, 2024, and the couple tied the knot on December 4 in a lavish but intimate ceremony attended by 300 guests at the Akkineni family-owned Annapurna Studios in Hyderabad, Telangana.

For Chaitanya, Thandel’s success is of utmost importance as he hasn’t had a solo hit since Love Story (2021). His only other box-office success after that was Bangarraju (2022), in which he shared the screen with his father Nagarjuna played the lead role. Both Thank You (2022) and Custody (2023), featuring Chaitanya, ended up being box-office bombs. Given that Thandel marks the on-screen reunion of him and Sai Pallavi — his co-star from Love Story — there is anticipation that the duo will be able to recreate the magic of their previous collaboration. Thandel will hit the screens on February 7.