Republic Review - Story

Panja Abhiram (Sai Dharam Tej) is an upright IAS officer who raises a war against the feudalistic political system. In his attempt to maintain law and order, he comes up against a wicked politician (Ramya Krishna). Can the bureaucrat win the seemingly complex battle against the corrupt and notorious political system?

Republic Review - Analysis

Deva Katta made a promising debut with Prasthanam, but he hadn’t scored a box office hit post the political drama. He seemed extremely confident about his latest directorial, Republic. Deva does stick to his familiar territory i.e, political drama, but his narrative is not entirely convincing. He presents the raw and hard-hitting story in an honest manner but the screenplay is a tad inconsistent.

Sai Dharam Tej plays an upright IAS officer who is vexed by the political infrastructure in his hometown and he sets out on a mission to change things for good. What follows is a bureaucrat vs political battle. The core conflict is essentially based on righteousness and feudalistic politics. The theme is very relevant. Certain scenes in the film perfectly depict the modern-day political system. The Rahul Ramakrishna track catapults the narrative in the opening exchanges and this episode is handled very well. The protagonist and his love interest track look forced. Ramya Krishna plays an arguably brief role but her character is written with great conviction. Her confrontational scenes with Sai are executed well. Deva Katta shows glimpses of brilliance with bright moments spread sparingly through the course of the film but there are outweighed by lackluster sequences in either half. A tighter screenplay could have worked pretty well for the film. The climax is hard-hitting and has a surprise element. It is deep indeed. Deva Katta keeps things real for most parts but there a fair few cinematic liberties are taken to establish the hero-villain conflict. Mani Sharma’s background score is adrenaline-pumping. The cinematography is adequate. Editing could have been better.

Republic Review - Verdict

Republic is an honest but not entirely convincing political thriller that has its own share of bright moments and as well as flaws. The screenplay is a tad inconsistent. Pacy narration could have helped the film. It ends up as a middling watch.