Prathichaya Movie Review:

It’s election season in Kerala. With all major fronts braving the blazing sun to campaign ahead of the April 9 polls, the release of Prathichaya during this politically charged period naturally raised eyebrows. Many wondered if the film was part of a broader narrative push, especially given director B Unnikrishnan’s known Left-leaning politics and the story’s resemblance to a controversial chapter from former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s political career. The concern isn’t unfounded. Cinema has often proved to be a powerful tool in shaping political perception.

Director: B Unnikrishnan

Cast: Nivin Pauly, Balachandra Menon, Sharaf U Dheen, Harisree Ashokan, Neethu Krishna

Prathichaya does draw from a dark phase in Oommen Chandy’s tenure, but its central character Varghese (Balachandra Menon) also has visible shades of other stalwarts like K Karunakaran and KM Mani too — the tongue-in-cheek wit and the bar bribery scandal, respectively. Unnikrishnan presents Varghese as a seasoned, grey-shaded politician who is empathetic when needed and ruthless when challenged. While the film occasionally risks elevating him to a messiah-like figure, it also offers candid moments where he acknowledges, and even jokes about, his own corruption.

Balachandra Menon's assured presence and the deft characterisation are among the film's key takeaways. The veteran's endearing performance ensures the character's grey shades never linger. It is the warmth we remember, and that's the hallmark of an astute politician, right?

With Prathichaya (meaning “image” in Malayalam), Unnikrishnan attempts to explore the idea of public perception. What happens when a powerful corporate machinery capable of manufacturing or dismantling reputations clashes with a technocrat equally adept at the same game? It is a compelling premise, but the film only scratches the surface of its potential.

A major reason is the underwhelming presence of its key players, especially Nivin Pauly and Sharaf U Dheen, who struggle to anchor this central conflict. The film’s old-fashioned, exposition-heavy writing does not help either. For instance, the verbose, overly idealistic climax, in particular, spells everything out instead of trusting the audience, diluting the impact of what could have been a sharp finish.

Technically, Prathichaya benefits from Chandru Selvaraj’s refined cinematography, but the storytelling remains rooted in familiar templates and rarely generates a sense of urgency or intrigue.

Malayalam political dramas have traditionally thrived on ideologically charged, hard-hitting dialogues, but here the lines seldom carry the desired weight. The contrast becomes all the more evident when veterans like Balachandra Menon and Sai Kumar deliver them with ease, conviction, and the required dramatics.

Nivin, who takes on the baton from Balachandra Menon in the second half, struggles to embody the charisma of a young, dynamic leader rising rapidly through the ranks. Sharaf, meanwhile, comes across as stiff and overly calculated. His performance is weighed down by repetitive staging, particularly the excessive slow-motion shots of him striding in suits with bodyguards, which quickly lose impact.

Beneath its political cloak, Prathichaya is essentially a father-son story driven by a quest for vengeance and redemption. Unnikrishnan’s writing is at its most effective in these interpersonal moments. The dynamic between John (Nivin) and Rose (Neethu Krishna), especially given both their political affiliations, adds an interesting layer that is handled with restraint.

The film also attempts to critique corporate-backed media and its influence on public perception, touching upon the growing role of data and algorithms in shaping narratives. However, these ideas are communicated as if in an awareness class, rather than organically developed. In the process, the film settles into a familiar corporate-bashing template, overlooking the richer, more complex political drama within party structures and factions. The near absence of the Left in this landscape is also particularly surprising.

In the end, Prathichaya trades grounded political drama for broad, surface-level storytelling, leaving behind a film that is intermittently engaging but rarely incisive.