Actor Naga Chaitanya has reportedly hiked his fee for his upcoming film Thandel. Directed by Chandoo Mondeti, the film also stars Sai Pallavi in the lead role. It is all set to hit the big screens on February 7. As the actors are gearing up for the film's release, it has been revealed that Naga Chaitanya has charged four times more than Sai.

Naga Chaitanya has charged between Rs 15 crore to Rs 20 crore, as per a report by Siasat. This marks a substantial increase from his previous remuneration of Rs 10 crore.

Meanwhile, his co-star Sai, has been paid Rs 5 crore—nearly four times less than Chaitanya. The film has been made on a reported budget of Rs 90 crore, and its success at the box office is crucial for recovering costs.

With its high production value and star power, the makers are banking on Thandel's release to ensure strong earnings. They are leaving no stone unturned to promote the film across India.

Thandel is based on a real-life incident in which Indian fishermen from Andhra Pradesh were taken prisoners by Pakistan authorities and imprisoned for as long as 22 years.

During the film's pre-release event in Hyderabad on Sunday, Allu Aravind, who is presenting the film, disclosed, "This true story happened in (a place) nearby Vizag, in a small village. People had gone to Gujarat for fishing for 30 days. Unfortunately, due to some weather problem, they crossed the international borders and suddenly they realised that Pakistan people had caught them and taken them to jail. They were there for 22 years. Their families in the village -- how they suffered, how they rose to bring them back, and what their struggle was."

Thandel is one of the highly-awaited films of the year. The film stars Sundip R Ved as the antagonist. National Award-winning composer Devi Sri Prasad has scored the music for this film.