Prathichaya
| Prathichaya | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | B. Unnikrishnan |
| Written by | B. Unnikrishnan |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | Nivin Pauly Balachandra Menon Sharaf U Dheen Harisree Ashokan Sabitha Anand Neethu Krishna Ann Augustine |
| Cinematography | Chandru Selvaraj |
| Edited by | Manoj |
| Music by | Justin Varghese |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Sree Gokulam Movies |
Release date |
|
Running time | 162 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Malayalam |
Prathichaya is a 2026 Indian Malayalam-language political thriller film directed by B. Unnikrishnan.[1] The film stars Nivin Pauly in the title role, while Balachandra Menon, Sharaf U Dheen, Sabitha Anand, Ann Augustine and Harisree Ashokan plays supporting roles.[2] The film was released theatrically on 26 March 2026.[3][4]
The film was produced by Sree Gokulam Movies and RD Illuminations LLP and the music is composed by Justin Varghese.[5] The film develops as a tense father-son drama set against a backdrop of modern political warfare and digital surveillance.
Plot
John Varghese, a tech entrepreneur who attempts to salvage the reputation of his father, a Chief Minister embroiled in a political scandal. As John deploys technology and strategic narratives to influence public perception, he uncovers layers of conspiracy involving political rivals, media manipulation and corporate interests.
Cast
- Nivin Pauly as John Varghese, New Chief Minister of Kerala
- Balachandra Menon as K. N. Varghese, John's father and former Chief Minister of Kerala
- Sharaf U Dheen as Ravi Madhavan
- Harisree Ashokan as Purushothaman
- Sabitha Anand as Annamma Varghese
- Ann Augustine as Nisha Chandrakumar
- Saikumar as N. P. Jayadevan
- Maniyanpilla Raju as Minister Ramakrishan
- Chirag Jani as Sukesh Pandey
- Nishanth Sagar as Tobin Varghese
- Vishnu Agasthya as Arvind
- Neethu Krishna as Rosa John
- Vijitha Vijayakumar as Rani Tobin
- Megha Thomas as Thara Vijayan IPS
- Nandini Gopalakrishnan
- Baby Dhwani as Mariya Tobin
- Vyshakh as Ishaan Tejas
- Aneena as Elizabeth Jacob
- Baby Fyza as Aswini Chandrakumar
Release
The film was released theatrically on 26 March 2026.[6][7]
The digital streaming rights of the film is acquired by JioHotstar and began streaming from 24 April 2026.[8][9]
Reception
Critical response
The film received mixed reviews from critics.
Sajin Sreejith of The Week rated 4 out of 5 and wrote "B. Unnikrishnan's best film with efficient turns from Nivin Pauly and Balachandra Menon".[10]
Latha Srinivasan of NDTV gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Prathichaya turns out to be a slow-paced family and political drama with an underwhelming script".[11]
Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 2 out of 5 stars and wrote "Prathichaya is marred throughout by poor performances from the main cast".[12]
S R Praveen of The Hindu reviewed the film as "Not even a whitewash can contemporise this old-fashioned political thriller".[13]
Vignesh Madhu of Cinema Express wrote "A dated political drama lifted by flashes of sharp writing ".[14]
Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today wrote "This Nivin Pauly film needs max patience for minimal pay-off".[15]
Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote "B Unnikrishnan-Nivin Pauly film is an emotionally-charged political thriller".[16]
References
- ^ "'Pure coincidence.' B Unnikrishnan on his political drama 'Prathichaya' releasing during Kerala polls". Onmanorama.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly-B Unnikrishnan film titled Prathichaya, trailer out". The New Indian Express.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly's Political Thriller 'Prathichaya' Gets Release Date, To Hit Theatres On March 26". News18.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly's 'Prathichaya' To Be Released On March 26". Hollywood Reporter India.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly announces release date of political thriller 'Prathichaya' for March 26: 'A father's legacy, a son's destiny'". The Times of India.
- ^ "'പ്രതിഛായ' റിലീസ് തീയതി പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു; മാർച്ച് 26-ന് തിയേറ്ററിലെത്തും". Mathrubhumi News.
- ^ "നിവിൻ പോളി, ബാലചന്ദ്ര മേനോൻ ചിത്രം 'പ്രതിഛായ' മാർച്ച് റിലീസ്". News18.
- ^ "'Prathichaya' OTT release: When and where to watch Nivin Pauly and B Unnikrishnan's political thriller". The Times of India.
- ^ "Nivin Pauly starrer 'Prathichaya' locks its OTT release date; here's where to watch". Onmanorama.
- ^ "'Prathichaya' review: B. Unnikrishnan's best film with efficient turns from Nivin Pauly and Balachandra Menon". The Week. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ "Prathichaya Review: Nivin Pauly's Political Thriller Drowns In Monotony". NDTV. 26 March 2026. Archived from the original on 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ^ "Prathichaya movie review: Nivin Pauly's political drama is old wine in a new bottle". Indian Express. 27 March 2026. Archived from the original on 4 May 2026. Retrieved 4 May 2026.
- ^ "'Prathichaya' movie review: Not even a whitewash can contemporise this old-fashioned political thriller". The Hindu. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ "Prathichaya Movie Review: A dated political drama lifted by flashes of sharp writing". Cinema Express. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ "Prathichaya review: This Nivin Pauly film needs max patience for minimal pay-off". India Today. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ^ "'Prathichaya' review: B Unnikrishnan-Nivin Pauly film is an emotionally-charged political thriller". Onamanorama. 26 March 2026. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
External Links
Prathichaya at IMDb