# Chandoo Mondeti

Chandoo Mondeti is an Indian film director and screenwriter who works in Telugu cinema. His successful films include Karthikeya (2014), Premam (2016), Karthikeya 2 (2022) and Thandel (2025). He is the recipient of a National Film Award and a Nandi Award.

## Early life and career

Chandoo Mondeti was born in Vemuluru near Kovvur in Andhra Pradesh.
He debuted as a director with Karthikeya in 2014. It was a mystery thriller film starring Nikhil Siddhartha and Swathi Reddy in the lead roles. The film revolves showcases the life of a curious medico Karthik who investigates the mystery surrounding a closed Karthikeya temple in the village of Subrahmanyapuram. An incident which happened in Talupulamma Temple in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh inspired Chandoo Mondeti to pen the story of Karthikeya. The film released on 24 October 2014 as a Diwali release to positive reviews from critics, and collected more than ₹20 crore, on a budget of ₹4–6 crore.
He then directed Premam (2016), a remake of 2015 Malayalam film of the same name. The film was commercially successful. Later he directed Savyasachi (2018) starring Naga Chaitanya and Madhavan (in his Telugu debut) which did not perform well at the box office.
He later directed the crime drama film Bloody Mary (2022) stars Nivetha Pethuraj, Brahmaji, Ajay, and Kireeti Damaraju. Set in Visakhapatnam, the plot follows three orphaned childhood friends—Mary, Raju, and Basha who find themselves embroiled in a murder case. The film was digitally released in April 2022 on the streaming platform Aha.
His next project Karthikeya 2, the sequel to Karthikeya, was officially launched in March 2020 in Tirupati with a puja ceremony. Filming took place in India, predominantly in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, in addition to Spain, Portugal, and Greece in Europe. It starred Nikhil Siddhartha, Anupama Parameswaran, and Anupam Kher in prominent roles. Karthikeya 2 was released in August 2022 and received positive reviews from critics and became the highest grossing film in Mondeti's career.
He has collaborated with Naga Chaitanya for the third time in Thandel, with Sai Pallavi playing the lead actress. It was released in February 2025.

## Filmography

| Year | Title | Director | Writer |
| 2014 | Karthikeya | Yes | Yes |
| 2015 | Surya vs Surya | No | Dialogues |
| 2016 | Premam | Yes | Yes |
| 2018 | Kirrak Party | No | Dialogues |
| 2018 | Savyasachi | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Bloody Mary | Yes | Yes |
| 2022 | Karthikeya 2 | Yes | Yes |
| 2025 | Thandel | Yes | Yes |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Work | Result |
| Filmfare Awards South | 2015 | Best Director – Telugu | Karthikeya | Nominated |
| IIFA Utsavam | 2016 | Best Director – Telugu | Karthikeya | Nominated |
| Nandi Awards | 2014 | Best First Film of a Director | Karthikeya | Won |
| National Film Awards | 2024 | Best Telugu Feature Film | Karthikeya 2 | Won |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 2015 | Best Debut Director – Telugu | Karthikeya | Nominated |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 2023 | Best Director – Telugu | Karthikeya 2 | Nominated |
| South Indian International Movie Awards | 2023 | Sensation of the Year | Karthikeya 2 | Won |