Odela 2, the sequel to the 2022 OTT hit Odela Railway Station, is a supernatural horror film that ditches the original’s crime thriller vibe for a spiritual showdown rooted in Telugu folklore. Directed by Ashok Teja and written by Sampath Nandi, this 150 minute film releases on April 17, 2025 and stars Tamannaah Bhatia as Bhairavi, a fierce Naga Sadhu who has to fight a vengeful spirit in the haunted village of Odela. With Vasishta N. Simha, Hebah Patel and Murali Sharma in the cast and produced by Madhu Creations and Sampath Nandi Teamworks, the film aims to combine devotion, horror and rural authenticity. But does it live up to the expectations of the original or does it collapse under its own weight?
The story starts where Odela Railway Station ends, where Tirupati (Vasishta N. Simha) met his end at the hands of his wife Radha (Hebah Patel) for his crimes against newlywed brides. Instead of cremating him, the villagers opt for a “Shava Samadhi” burial, which traps Tirupati’s evil spirit and allows him to come back and wreak havoc. Six months later, a fresh wave of brutal murders – brides and a police officer fall prey – and Odela is in panic. Radha, who is now in jail, asks the villagers to find her estranged sister Bhairavi (Tamannaah) a Shiva devotee trained in Aghora tradition. What follows is a classic good vs evil clash as Bhairavi faces Tirupati’s spirit in a battle woven with spiritual rituals, possessions and buried family secrets.
Tamannaah is the soul of the film, delivering a performance that strips her of her glamour and gives her a saintly intensity. As Bhairavi, she owns the screen—especially in the second half—with a fierce determination, her ash smeared face and staff in hand looking like divine wrath. Her emotional depth shines in the scenes with Radha, but her late entry just before the interval leaves us wanting more of her earlier on. Vasishta N. Simha is chilling as Tirupati, his menacing presence and eerie dubbing (reminds me of Arundhati’s Pasupathi) making every scene with him uncomfortable. Hebah Patel is underutilized, and Radha is stuck in bridging scenes that lack the emotional punch of her first film. Murali Sharma and Naga Mahesh add to the texture but are stuck in predictable roles; the ensemble can’t lift a script that relies heavily on the leads.
Visually, Odela 2 gets the rustic dread of the setting right. Cinematographer Soundar Rajan paints Odela’s temples, foggy fields and eerie graves with a lived in quality. B. Ajaneesh Loknath’s score is pulsating, especially in the first 20 minutes, where a blood soaked figure clutching a severed head sets the tone. The production design, with its detailed rituals and village aesthetics, grounds the supernatural in reality. But the CGI used for ghostly apparitions and spiritual effects feels clunky at times and undermines some of the key moments. Editor Avinash keeps the pace brisk in the horror heavy first half, but the second half is loaded with devotional tangents and drags, making the climax feel more exhausting than exhilarating.
The biggest weakness of Odela 2 is the execution of the story. The movie tries to combine horror, spirituality and traditional stories like Ammoru and Arundhati, but it feels outdated, relying on old themes - vengeful spirits, possessed villagers and divine saviors - that don’t bring in anything new. The script is heavy on atmosphere but lacks surprise and has a meek story that preaches more than it builds tension. The attempts to scare often turn into unintentional comedy and the spiritual elements are loud and not integrated well with the horror. People have called it "backward confusion" and a lack of resolution and have given 2.5/5, praising Tamannaah and Vasishta but disappointed with the script and conclusion. U/A certified for moderate violence and occult themes, but the tone is not engaging for a younger audience or casual viewers.
Overall, Odela 2 is a visually beautiful film that shines when Tamannaah is on screen, but it is bogged down by an old formula and uneven direction. It’s a film that wants to be a thriller and a devotional film, but doesn’t fully commit to either, so you get flashes of brilliance in a sea of familiarity. If you are a fan of Odela Railway Station or spiritual horror, it’s worth watching for the opening and performances, but don’t expect a smooth ride. In Odela’s battle of spirit vs spirituality, the spark is there but never ignites.