Republic preview: All you need to know about Sai Dharam Tej, Deva Katta's political thriller

Filmmaker Deva Katta, with films like Prasthanam, Vennela and Autonagar Surya to his credit, is returning to Telugu cinema after a six-year sabbatical with Republic, a film set in his pet genre, political thriller. Starring Sai Dharam Tej, Aishwarya Rajesh, Ramya Krishna and Jagapathi Babu in the lead roles, the film has been in the making for over a year and is finally releasing in theatres on October 1. Produced by J Bhagavan and Pulla Rao, Republic has music by Mani Sharma. The famed technical lineup also comprises cinematographer M Sukumar, editor KL Praveen. 

What is the film about?

Panja Abhiram is a courageous youngster who is appointed as a district collector. He dreams of an equal society, detests corruption and places his belief in the constitution and the judiciary while discharging his duties. His major roadblock comes in the form of a shrewd local politician Visakha Vani, who tries to overwhelm him with her power and influence when things don't go her way. Abhiram's life is intertwined with an NRI Myra Johnson who returns to India for a reason. Republic is a story of how the collector empowers the public and asks them to be fearless in their fight for justice.

Why is the film worth waiting for?

Deva Katta is a name synonymous with political dramas and thrillers and one glimpse at the trailer of Republic would exactly tell you why he's so good at the genre. There's a social charge in his films and he makes no bones about portraying realities of modern-day politics in all its brutality on screen. The filmmaker has a terrific understanding of grass-root politics and has the knack to blend it with his cinematic sensibilities and drama. The dialogues are hard-hitting and voice a common man's angst well.

Sai Dharam Tej in a social media post had shared that his role Panja Abhiram is one of his best-written characters in his career. Besides the star pull of Sai Dharam Tej, Republic has a power-packed star cast, full of proven performers like Aishwarya Rajesh, Ramya Krishna and Jagapathi Babu. It's all the more exciting that Ramya Krishna and Jagapathi Babu's roles will have several shades of grey. 

The intense monologues, intriguing courtroom sequences, as indicated in the film's promos, promise to be a highlight for the audiences. Mani Sharma's songs like Gaana of Republic, Jorse Barse are already a hit with music lovers. Additionally, the film has been mounted on a huge canvas and its big-screen appeal is already a given.

Why hasn't Sai Dharam Tej featured in the film's promotions?

A few weeks ago, Sai Dharam Tej had suffered injuries during a road accident on a night while riding his bike in Madhapur, Hyderabad. He was in a coma for a few days and regained consciousness in due course. In his absence, both his uncles and stars Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan have chipped in to promote the film across social media and other events. While Chiranjeevi had released the film's trailer, Pawan Kalyan graced Republic's pre-release event. Pawan Kalyan, requesting Sai Dharam Tej's fans to support the film, also criticised the Andhra Pradesh government concerning their decisions on ticket-pricing at theatres in the State.

Where can one watch the film?

Republic is releasing the theatres first worldwide on October 1. The film will be available for streaming on ZEE5 anytime between 30 and 50 days of its theatrical release date.