Odiyan

Odiyan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	V. A. Shrikumar Menon
Written by	Harikrishnan
Produced by	Antony Perumbavoor
Starring	Mohanlal Prakash Raj Manju Warrier
Narrated by	Mammootty
Cinematography	Shaji Kumar
Edited by	Johnkutty
Music by	M. Jayachandran Sam C. S.
Production company	Aashirvad Cinemas
Distributed by	Max Creations Release
Release date	14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)
Running time	167 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Box office	₹54 crore[1]

Odiyan (transl. Shapeshifter) is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language fantasy drama film directed by V. A. Shrikumar Menon in his feature film debut. The film was written by Harikrishnan and is based on the legend of the Odiyan clan, who in Kerala folklore are men believed to possess shapeshifting abilities and can assume animal forms. Odiyans are said to have inhabited the Malabar region of Kerala before the widespread use of electricity. The film stars Mohanlal in the title role, alongside an ensemble cast of Prakash Raj, Manju Warrier, Siddique, Innocent, Manoj Joshi, Sana Althaf, Kailesh, Narain, Sreejaya Nair and Nandhu Krishnamoorthy. It was produced by Antony Perumbavoor through Aashirvad Cinemas. Manikyan, a notorious Odiyan, returns to his village after an exile of 15 years to see his lover once, including his friends, Damodharan and more over, Manikyan's girlfriend Prabha. His arrival causes much unease to some of the villagers, especially Ravunni Nair, Prabha's cousin brother, who has a personal grudge against him.

Principal photography began in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in August 2017. Major parts of the film were shot in Palakkad district, where the story's Thenkurissi village was recreated. Some scenes were filmed in Vagamon, Athirappilly, and Kochi. The film was completed after 145 days of shooting. Sam C. S. composed the film's score, which also features songs composed by M. Jayachandran. The film has editing by Johnkutty and cinematography by Shaji Kumar respectively.

Odiyan was released worldwide on 14 December 2018 alongside its dubbed versions in Tamil and Telugu languages. Upon release, Odiyan mainly received mixed reviews from critics who praised the performances, score and action sequences but criticized the direction, visual effects and the screenplay. Despite it the film grossed over ₹54 crore worldwide ^[2] becoming one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films of all time.