ODIYAN

PRITHVIRAJ SUKUMARAN NEXT FILM ANNOUNCEMENT ??

1.PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT

Announced: June 16, 2026 by Karan Johar and Prithviraj Sukumaran

Significance: This marks Dharma Productions’ first-ever Malayalam film and Karan Johar’s debut as producer in Malayalam cinema

Prithviraj’s post: “A battle between truth and illusion unfurls soon. Presenting Odiyan - The Age Of Illusion.” . 

2. Cast & Crew

Director: Rahul Sadasivan – Known for critically acclaimed horror films Bhoothakaalam 2022 and Bramayugam 2024. All his films so far deal with horror, folklore, and psychological themes

Lead Actors:

Prithviraj Sukumaran – Also co-producer via Prithviraj Productions

Manju Warrier – This is her 2nd film titled Odiyan. She played Prabha in Mohanlal’s 2018 Odiyan

Producers: Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta from Dharma Productions + Supriya Menon from Prithviraj Productions

Writer: Rahul Sadasivan – wrote & directed

Rest of cast: Not finalized yet... 

3. Story & Setting

Genre: Mythological thriller, supernatural drama, psychological horror

Timeline: Set in 19th-century Kerala

Premise: Rooted in Kerala folklore about “Odiyans” – feared shape-shifters who could assume animal forms and operated in darkness before electricity. The film is an “epic rooted in the folklore and cultural mythology of 19th-century Kerala”

Plot hint: “A terrifying shape-shifter descends on a powerful matriarchal household, setting off a battle between truth and illusion” – per industry reports

Themes: Menace, mythology, psychological weight, cultural identity. Explores the space between memory, belief, and imagination .

4. Creative Vision

Karan Johar: “His knack for eerie storytelling rooted in folklore is a feat in this age of cinema” – on Rahul Sadasivan

Rahul Sadasivan: “Folklore has always been a powerful source of fear because it exists in the space between memory, belief, and imagination”

Prithviraj: “The Odiyan is not just a myth, it is a piece of Kerala's identity, a legend that has travelled through generations”

Karan on collaboration: “Prithviraj, we’ve come such a long way with multiple collaborations behind us and hopefully many more ahead” . 

5. Production Details

Banners: Dharma Productions + Prithviraj Productions – first joint venture

Scale: Planned as pan-Indian release in Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada

Shooting: Not started yet. Announcement was first look only. Expected to begin late 2026/early 2027

First Look Poster: Released June 16, 2026. Shows “skeletal remains of a horned-creature curled up and twisted” inside an intricate baroque-style oval frame.