Prathichaya Story – Kerala's chief minister, Varghese, is humiliated in public and within his family due to a sexual harassment row. John Varghese, his youngest son, chooses to take on the role of chief minister in order to learn the truth behind the claims as the crisis worsens and the legacy of his father is in jeopardy. His attempts to confront the scandal's perpetrators and address the complex political dynamics are the film's primary focus.
Prathichaya Review – Having all the cliches of a political thriller, this B Unnikrishnan directorial does not escape its flaws to be an intriguing watch. However, the film's lead actor, Nivin Pauly, and a few of the supporting cast members impress the audience with their subtle performances.
Prathichaya's story incorporates every typical trope of a political thriller, such as a successful son who initially shies away from politics but is eventually compelled to do so in order to pursue justice for his father. This seems insufficient as the makers also include a younger son who strives to perform morally in positions of authority and another son who participates in scandalous acts solely to win his father's wrath. All of these contribute to the plot's lack of engagement because it eventually becomes predictable.
One positive element is that, rather than concentrating solely on the political processes of a state, the plot makes use of how corporates use information as a potent tool for controlling people and the negative sides of data accumulation by "evil businessmen". Balachandra Menon, Harisree Ashokan, Neethu Krishna, Vishnu Agasthya, and Sabitha Anand are all equally good in their parts, while Nivin Pauly's portrayal of John Varghese keeps the show together.
Sharaf U Dheen, who can play any role with ease, struggles a little in this movie because of his monotonous delivery of lines when he can be an excellent antagonist. The dramatic dialogue and predictability of the emotional scenes also make them unappealing to an extent. On the whole, Prathichaya can be a one-time watchable political drama with more focus given to commercialised elements instead of trying to engage the audience.
