Deva Katta's Prassthanam is a remake of his own 2010 Telugu hit of the same name. The film borrows elements from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata and also offers a critique on how there is no place for actual relationships in politics. 

MLA Baldev Pratap Singh (Sanjay Dutt) is a charismatic politician hailing from UP who rules both by his charm, as also through muscle and guns. His wife Saroj (Manisha Koirala) had two children by an earlier marriage. While the elder, a daughter, is now a doctor, the younger, a son, is a budding politician. His adopted son, Aayush (Ali Fazal) takes more after Baldev than his real son Vivaan (Satyajeet Dubey), who is a hot-headed, spoilt brat. Knowing his nature, Baldev doesn't want him to enter politics but Vivaan feels slighted by this and feels his father loves Aayush more. Baadshah (Jackie Shroff) is Baldev's trusted aide and driver. It so happens that Vivaan rapes and kills Baadshah's daughter. He wounds Baadshah and escapes. Not only that, he Also murders his step sister and her husband in a fit of rage. Now Aayush wants to kill him and Baldev has to bend his principles and shake hands with his enemy Khatri (Chunky Pandey) in order to save Vivaan's life. 

Thanks to the presence of Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Chunky Pandey, the film has a major '80s vibe to it. One feels one is watching an over-the-top '80s masala potboiler which had larger-than-life characters, punch dialogue and melodramatic situations as it's staples. The only addition is that the central characters introspect a lot more about their past actions. There is a theme of redemption running through the whole film which culminates in the climax. It's a morality tale of sorts, giving forth the lesson that one can't run away from one's guilt. That violence breeds more violence. And the only way forward is forgiveness. 

The romantic scenes and songs between Ali Fazal and Amyra Dastur have no relevance to the story. They could easily have been cut as at 141 minutes the film is way too long. A more concise editing would have turned it into a better film. There are unnecessary bloopers in the film. For instance, it is set in UP but for some strange reason Zakir Hussain's character speaks with a pronounced Hyderabadi accent. The police are chasing Jackie Shroff and the scene is set at the Haji Ali dargah, a Mumbai landmark. Since when did UP have a sea-fronted shrine?

Prassthanam is buoyed by the performances of its actors. Ali Fazal shines as the smart, young leader who loves his family and idolises his adoptive father. One can see the change in his eyes, in his body language, when he starts questioning his father's long-held beliefs. While Fazal's performance has subtlety, Satyajeet Dubey's portrayal has a fever pitch quality to it, keeping true to the demands of his character and offers a counterpoint to Fazal's role. Sanjay Dutt still can fill the screen with his Tiger-like presence. His outburst at the end shows he can still throw an emotional punch. Jackie Shroff looks the part of a trusted lieutenant and Chunky Pandey too looks like a sneaky businessman.  

All-in-all, better attention to details and towards editing would have added to the film's dramatic impact. In its current form, it feels like an unfinished product at best...