# Prathichaya (പ്രതിഛായ)
**Prathichaya** (പ്രതിഛായ, meaning "image" in Malayalam) is a 2026 Indian Malayalam-language political thriller film written and directed by B. Unnikrishnan, starring [Nivin Pauly](https://www.edgepedia.org/nivin-pauly) alongside [Balachandra Menon](https://www.edgepedia.org/balachandra-menon), Sharaf U Dheen, Ann Augustine, and [Harisree Ashokan](https://www.edgepedia.org/harisree-ashokan).[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2026/Mar/26/prathichaya-movie-review-a-dated-political-drama-lifted-by-flashes-of-sharp-writing) It was produced by Gokulam Gopalan under the Sree Gokulam Movies banner together with RD Illuminations LLP, and released in theaters on 26 March 2026.[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) • [3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) The film marks the first collaboration between Nivin Pauly and Unnikrishnan.[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director and writer | B. Unnikrishnan (story, screenplay, and dialogues)[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) • [3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) |
| Lead cast | Nivin Pauly as John Varghese; Balachandra Menon as Chief Minister K. N. Varghese; Sharaf U Dheen as Ravi Madhavan[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/fullcredits/) |
| Release | 26 March 2026, theatrically (India wide, United States limited)[3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) • [5](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/prathichaya) |
| Certification and length | CBFC U certificate, certified length 162.41 minutes, certified 5 March 2026 by the Thiruvananthapuram regional office[3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) |
| Key crew | Music Justin Varghese; cinematography Chandru Selvaraj; editing Manoj[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) |
| Streaming | JioHotstar, from 24 April 2026[6](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/prathichaya/cast-crew.html) |
| Reception | Mixed reviews; IMDb rating 5.7/10 from about 1,300 votes[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The story centers on K. N. Varghese, the Chief Minister of Kerala, who is trapped in a conspiracy mounted by a powerful corporate syndicate, causing his reputation to crumble under mounting allegations.[8](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/MYS/prathichaya/ET00491497) His son John Varghese, a tech entrepreneur who has stayed away from politics, steps into a web of deceit and power to clear his father's name and restore the family's honor.[8](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/MYS/prathichaya/ET00491497) As John deploys technology and strategic narratives to influence public perception, he uncovers layers of conspiracy involving political rivals, media manipulation, and corporate interests.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prathichaya)
The [Central Board of Film Certification](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-board-of-film-certification)'s plot summary describes the setup in harsher terms: after the Chief Minister dies in a scandal engineered by a ruthless media tycoon, his son enters politics to expose the conspiracy and turn technology against those who weaponized it.[3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) Reviewers describe the film as a mix of politics, family drama, vendetta, information war, and media trial.[10](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/nivin-pauly-prathichaya-political-drama-corruption-scandal-review-2887445-2026-03-26)
### Cast and characters
Nivin Pauly plays John Varghese, and Balachandra Menon plays his father, Chief Minister K. N. Varghese.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/fullcredits/) Sharaf U Dheen appears as the antagonist Ravi Madhavan.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/fullcredits/) The supporting cast includes Sabitha Anand as Annamma Varghese, John's mother; Nishanth Sagar as Tobin Varghese, John's brother; Ann Augustine as Nisha Chandrakumar; Harisree Ashokan as Purushothaman; Saikumar as N. P. Jayadevan; [Maniyanpilla Raju](https://www.edgepedia.org/maniyanpilla-raju) as Minister Ramakrishnan; Chirag Jani as Sukesh Pandey; and Neethu Krishna as Rosa John.[4](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/fullcredits/)
## Production and announcement
The project was kept untitled until February 2026. On 17 February 2026, Malayalam superstar Mohanlal unveiled the title and trailer at an event in Kochi.[11](https://www.ottplay.com/news/prathichaya-nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-political-film-title-mohanlal/0972dbd8af379) The trailer opens with Nivin's character addressing a Ted Talk-style audience, questioning whether designations and pay packages define victory, and invoking figures including [Mahatma Gandhi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mahatma-gandhi), Jawaharlal Nehru, former Kerala Chief Minister E. M. S. Namboodiripad, and Communist leader [A. K. Gopalan](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-k-gopalan).[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) The tagline reads "Image is destiny."[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya)
Filming wrapped before the announcement, with locations including Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, the [Himalayas](https://www.edgepedia.org/himalayas), St Petersburg, and Dubai.[1](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya) The film was certified U by the CBFC's Thiruvananthapuram regional office on 5 March 2026, with a certified length of 162.41 minutes.[3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) Listed runtimes vary across platforms, from 2 hours 35 minutes on ZEE5 to 167 minutes on the Australian HOYTS chain.[12](https://www.zee5.com/global/add-ons/home-screen-entertainment/movies/details/prathichaya/0-0-1z5971716) • [13](https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/prathichaya-malayalam-eng-sub)
## Release and distribution
The film opened in Indian theaters on 26 March 2026, with a wide release in India and a limited theatrical release in the United States on the same date.[3](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D) • [5](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/prathichaya) The timing drew attention because it fell during Kerala's election campaign period, ahead of the 9 April polls.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2026/Mar/26/prathichaya-movie-review-a-dated-political-drama-lifted-by-flashes-of-sharp-writing) RFT Films handled international distribution, presenting the film to the global Malayali audience.[14](https://rftfilms.co.uk/movie/prathichaya/) Digital streaming rights were acquired by JioHotstar, where the film began streaming on 24 April 2026.[6](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/prathichaya/cast-crew.html)
## Reception
Critical response was mixed. Sajin Sreejith of *The Week* rated the film 4 out of 5, calling it "B. Unnikrishnan's best film with efficient turns from Nivin Pauly and Balachandra Menon," while Latha Srinivasan of NDTV and Anandu Suresh of *The Indian Express* each gave 2 out of 5 stars.[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prathichaya) S. R. Praveen of *The Hindu* wrote that "not even a whitewash can contemporise this old-fashioned political thriller," and Vignesh Madhu of Cinema Express called it "a dated political drama lifted by flashes of sharp writing."[9](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prathichaya) • [2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2026/Mar/26/prathichaya-movie-review-a-dated-political-drama-lifted-by-flashes-of-sharp-writing) Sanjay Ponnappa of India Today judged that the film "needs max patience for minimal pay-off," faulting a sluggish screenplay, predictable beats, and a background score he found misplaced for a Kerala-rooted political drama.[10](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/nivin-pauly-prathichaya-political-drama-corruption-scandal-review-2887445-2026-03-26) The aggregate Filmi Score stands at 38 from four critic reviews, with critics praising Nivin Pauly's restraint and Balachandra Menon's performance while faulting dated staging and a slow, predictable plot.[15](https://filmi.ai/film/prathichaya-2026/)
**Box office and audience scores.** The film opened slowly, earning about Rs 7.5 million (Rs 75 lakhs) gross on its first day according to Times of India.[16](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/Malayalam/movie-details/Prathichaya/movieshow/129679049.cms) IMDb lists a worldwide gross of $211,245 and a user rating of 5.7/10 from about 1,300 votes.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/) On BookMyShow the film holds an 8.8/10 rating from more than 10,000 votes, with the most common user tags being #GreatActing, #Wellmade, and #Blockbuster, a markedly warmer audience response than the critics gave.[8](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/MYS/prathichaya/ET00491497)
**Political context.** Cinema Express noted that the story's resemblance to a controversial chapter from former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's political career, combined with the election-season release and Unnikrishnan's known Left-leaning politics, led many to wonder whether the film formed part of a broader narrative push.[2](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2026/Mar/26/prathichaya-movie-review-a-dated-political-drama-lifted-by-flashes-of-sharp-writing) Onmanorama observed that Malayalam political dramas have long used characters mirroring real-life figures, but that Prathichaya blurs the line to some extent because some incidents in the film remain fresh in viewers' minds.[17](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2026/03/26/prathichaya-full-review-b-unnikrishnan-nivin-pauly-political-movie.html)
## References
1. [Nivin Pauly-B Unnikrishnan film titled Prathichaya, trailer out, The New Indian Express (18 February 2026)](https://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/malayalam/2026/Feb/18/malayalamnews2026feb18nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-film-titled-prathichaya)
2. [Prathichaya Movie Review: A dated political drama lifted by flashes of sharp writing, Cinema Express (26 March 2026)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/malayalam/review/2026/Mar/26/prathichaya-movie-review-a-dated-political-drama-lifted-by-flashes-of-sharp-writing)
3. [CBFC Film Search: PRATHICHAYA, Central Board of Film Certification](https://cbfcindia.gov.in/cbfcAdmin/search-result.php?recid=Q0EwOTI1MDIyMDI2MDAwMTA%3D)
4. [Prathichaya (2026) Full cast & crew, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/fullcredits/)
5. [Prathichaya (2026), Moviebuff](https://d1f72a6kha0tf8.cloudfront.net/prathichaya)
6. [Prathichaya Cast & Crew, FilmiBeat](https://www.filmibeat.com/malayalam/movies/prathichaya/cast-crew.html)
7. [Prathichaya (2026), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt39283431/)
8. [Prathichaya, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/movies/MYS/prathichaya/ET00491497)
9. [Prathichaya, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/prathichaya)
10. [Prathichaya review: This Nivin Pauly film needs max patience for minimal pay-off, India Today (26 March 2026)](https://www.indiatoday.in/movies/reviews/story/nivin-pauly-prathichaya-political-drama-corruption-scandal-review-2887445-2026-03-26)
11. [Prathichaya: Mohanlal reveals title of Nivin Pauly's new movie, unveils trailer of political thriller, OTTplay (18 February 2026)](https://www.ottplay.com/news/prathichaya-nivin-pauly-b-unnikrishnan-political-film-title-mohanlal/0972dbd8af379)
12. [Prathichaya, ZEE5](https://www.zee5.com/global/add-ons/home-screen-entertainment/movies/details/prathichaya/0-0-1z5971716)
13. [Prathichaya (Malayalam, Eng Sub), HOYTS Cinemas](https://www.hoyts.com.au/movies/prathichaya-malayalam-eng-sub)
14. [Prathichaya, RFT Films](https://rftfilms.co.uk/movie/prathichaya/)
15. [Prathichaya (2026) review, box office collection, OTT release date, filmi.ai](https://filmi.ai/film/prathichaya-2026/)
16. [Prathichaya Movie: Showtimes, Review, Songs, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos, Times of India eTimes](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/Malayalam/movie-details/Prathichaya/movieshow/129679049.cms)
17. ['Prathichaya' review: B Unnikrishnan-Nivin Pauly's film is a subdued, yet emotionally-charged political thriller, Onmanorama (26 March 2026)](https://www.onmanorama.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/2026/03/26/prathichaya-full-review-b-unnikrishnan-nivin-pauly-political-movie.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Indian films (individual works) › Malayalam films of the 2020s › Malayalam films of 2026*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 3, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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