Odiyan Review: Mohanlal Excels In This Journey Through Manikyan's Eventful Life!

Odiyan, the name says it all. The Mohanlal starrer did overtake all the movies of the past in terms of hype and publicity. By all means, Odiyan has been a film for which the entire strata of the Malayalam film audiences have been eagerly waiting for with bated breath. Odiyan is touted to be one such film that could change the face of Malayalam cinema. Has the film managed to do that? Read Odiyan review here to get the answers regarding the same.

The plot of Odiyan revolves around Odiyan Manikyan who at present lives a lonely life in Varanasi. At one particular instance, he is forced to go back to his home town Thenkurissi. The movie takes us through the past and present life of Odiyan Manikyan, his romantic interest, his friends, the revenge and much more.

Odiyan's core plot or the crux theme is something that hasn't been explored yet in Malayalam cinema. Odiyan has been a part of Kerala's folklore and it holds exciting prospects for an entertaining and riveting movie. The script penned by Harikrishnan has the right elements. He has placed the core plot of Odiyan in a storyline which has romance, revenge and other emotions. However, the script is not enticing enough and the predictable elements in the script do backfire at parts.

It is never easy to make a film that has been set in the past and the present. VA Shrikumar Menon has been successful in the presenting the two different periods successfully but he falters when it comes to the presentation of the non-linear pattern that the script has and he was unable to unwind the slight confusions in the proceedings. The casting is perfect and the film-maker does take his own time in the detailing which does justice to the storyline that it has to narrate. In Odiyan, the film-maker hasn't opted for an approach seen in usual mass entertainers. He has given due importance to the emotional elements as well. Some of the sequences have been executed really well like the ones involving the Odi Vidya, which is one among the major highlights.

As usual, Mohanlal has come up with a sensational performance. The hard work that he has put in for the perfection of the various phases of Manikyan's character has paid off. Watch out for his performances in the emotional sequences, which are sure to move your heart. Needless to say, he excels in the action sequences, which are the major highlights of the movie. Manju Warrier plays the role of Prabha and the actress does complete justice to the well-written role. Prakash Raj's performance as Ravvunni is also notable but still, we would have loved him to have dubbed in his own voice. Siddique got to play a usual role. It was refreshing to see Innocent in a well-written role. Manoj Joshi plays his part in a decent way.

As mentioned above, the action sequences of Odiyan are top-notch and they offer those edge-of-the-seat moments. But at the same time, the climax action sequences could have been a lot better as the talks surrounding the same were huge. Camera by Shaji Kumar was decent. Editing by John Kutty could have been a lot better with the long running time of the film creating a lag. Songs by M Jayachandran were good and they have been shot well. But, the placement of some of the songs weren't that appreciable.

Odiyan is not an out-and-out mass entertainer as it has a different approach. Odiyan might not be a film that has lived up to the expectations but still it is a decent movie that keeps us engaged. Go in with less expectations and you might enjoy it.