It is well known that Odela Railway Station, which was released on OTT in 2022, was a big hit. Sampath Nandi is the writer of the sequel Odela 2. Ashok Teja is the director of the film, which features Tamannaah Bhatia in a key role. Let’s see how much the film has impressed the audience after generating good expectations with its teaser and trailer.
Story: Knowing that Tirupati (Vasishta N. Simha) is responsible for the disappearance and deaths of girls on their wedding night in Odela village, Radha (Hebah Patel) goes to jail after beheading him. People believe that with Tirupati’s death, the curse on the village would end. However, Tirupati, who had previously fulfilled his desires in the form of lust, returns as a demonic spirit, combining lust and evil. He begins a new wave of carnage. How Shivashakti Bhairavi (Tamannaah) stops this terror forms the core plot of Odela 2.
Performances: Vasishta N. Simha is not physically present in many scenes, but he adds intensity through his voice acting alone. Those scenes are reminiscent of Arundhati. His performance and dialogue delivery, especially in the climax, are impressive. Tamannaah wanted to showcase a new side of herself with this film. It was somewhat successful, but overall, the drama didn’t quite come through effectively in her role. It’s hard to understand whether Hebah Patel is laughing or crying in certain scenes. However, the actors who played the villagers and elders were convincing in their roles.
Technical Aspects: The VFX, CGI, art department, and production design team deserve appreciation. Given the budget, the output was commendable. Soundar Rajan’s cinematography is good. Particularly in the horror sequences, the use of heroic shots instead of typical jump scares was impressive. Ajaneesh Loknath’s trance-style BGM with a male voice added a fresh impact to those scenes.
Analysis: One of the main drawbacks is the screenplay. While there are many positives, the first half drags, and the second half moves at a snail’s pace, testing the audience’s patience. The excessive number of scenes ends up being a negative. Trying to depict the whole town’s shock in just one song, and the head-cut sequence created for dramatic effect with a little girl, doesn’t work as intended.
There are many such issues. Whether Ashok Teja, as the director, should take responsibility for these shortcomings, or Sampath Nandi, who handled the story, narration, dialogues, and supervised the direction while being at the forefront of promotions, is responsible, is up for debate. Regardless of who’s at fault, a story with good scope has been poorly narrated.
Even linking the concept of lust to Lord Shiva is seen as a loss of faith. Furthermore, it feels distasteful that Lord Shiva gives his trident to Shivashakti, trivializing the spirit’s sacrifice in setting up Part 3. The battle between evil and divinity has long been a theme in films since Ammoru.
Many movies follow this format. However, lust has never been the central point. While Arundhati hinted at that angle, the film didn’t fully focus on it, instead elevating divinity to keep the audience engaged. Although that divine angle worked for Odela Railway Station, in Odela 2, the portrayal of the spirit satisfying its lust in various ways feels disturbing.
Verdict: Overall, Odela 2 fails to engage the audience, neither logically nor emotionally. There is a lack of seriousness in the film despite having a decent concept, as the audience is taken for granted.
Bottom Line: Same old thriller
Rating: 2/5
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