17 March,2026 02:09 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Nivin Pauly in Prathichaya
Nivin Pauly's next, titled Prathichaya has been scheduled for release later this month. The makers of director B. Unnikrishnan's political thriller have now announced that their eagerly awaited film will hit screens worldwide on March 26 this year.
Nivin Pauly, who took to his social media timelines to announce the film's release date, wrote, "A father's legacy. A son's destiny. Prathichaya arrives in cinemas on March 26. Written & Directed by Unnikrishnan B. Produced by Sree Gokulam Movies & RD Illuminations LLP."
The trailer of the film was unveiled a few weeks back. The video asset begins with Nivin Pauly's voice-over. We hear him saying, "You are all waiting to hear about my success story. But am I successful? Success can sometimes be defined by your designation or pay package. But is that really it? Were Gandhiji, Nehru, EMS and AKG successful men? Or were they failures?" Even as this voiceover continues, we are shown images of protests, political speeches and politicians.
Soon we see Nivin Pauly addressing a number of delegates. From the visuals shown in the trailer, it is evident that Nivin Pauly plays the role of a political strategist and that he is part of a politician's think tank. He understands the essence of politics as he explains, "Cabinet formation is a web of equations. Caste, religion, powerful alliances with interests -- our positions are determined by these very dynamics. Icons are built and destroyed based on market demands."
We get to know that Nivin Pauly's character in the film is also corrupt. A politician is seen complimenting him, "You are a corrupting force." To this, Nivin Pauly's character replies, "Like you have nothing to do with corruption."
The trailer also shows that the film will revolve around the struggle for power. One politician in power says, "There is talk that I'll be kicked out of the chair today."
An interesting dialogue in the trailer gives a comprehensive idea of what the film is all about. The dialogue goes, "There are no individuals in politics, only images."
Apart from Nivin Pauly, the film features Sharf U Dheen and Balachandra Menon in pivotal roles among others. Written and directed by Unnikrishnan B, the film has been produced by Gokulam Gopalan and Rd Illuminations LLP. On the technical front, the film has cinematography by Chandru Selvaraj and music by Justin Varghese. Editing is by Manoj and production design is by Shajie Naduvil. Aji Kutiyani has taken on the responsibility of heading the art direction department, while Shaji Padoor has co-directed the film.
