The most awaited Malayalam movie of 2018, Odiyan releases in Kerala on a harthal day. With a record-breaking pre-booking and a great number of shows, Odiyan once again proves that Mohanlal is the biggest star in Malayalam.

Odiyan is the story of Odiyan Manikyan, the last of the Odiyan clan in Thenkurissy, Palakkad. The Odiyans are people who are believed to have inhabited the Malabar region, and in Kerala folklore, they are believed to have shape-shifting abilities. They are people who have acquired special powers due to a lifetime of practice and dedication, and can assume any shape.

The film starts with Odiyan Manikyan living in Varanasi and has frequent flashbacks after he comes to Thenkurissy. The nonlinear nature and placement of scenes, especially the placement of the song 'Kondoraam', gives the movie a lag. The length of many scenes could've been shortened and the dialogues could've been crisper.

The director has succeeded in roping in the best in the industry but unfortunately has fallen short in extracting the best from them, the only exception being Mohanlal's performance. Odiyan has the potential to become a mass entertainer, but it becomes another film that fell prey to the over expectation generated before release.

Mohanlal's hard work deserves appreciation, he has undergone many changes to produce the two different looks. Manju Warrier and Sana Althaf come up with neat performances and share great chemistry. Prakash Raj's character has nothing new to offer and is the same old villain Malayalam cinema has seen for years.

On the technical front, the cinematography is good, but some quality VFX would have made it better. More effort could have been put to make the background score a better one.