HYDERABAD: Most comic book heroes follow the good overcoming evil storyline where the lead character is one that’s worth looking up to. But graphic novel Odayan doesn’t go by the convention.
Set against the backdrop of feudal Kerala the character is the story of a vigilante who has a knack for provoking people for the wrong reasons. After the success of the first part Aarambham in the series, Odayan 2 -Yuddham comes packed with great fight sequences in kalaripayuttu and has two parallel storylines which makes for some great build up.
Ever since it’s launch, the graphic novel series has managed to amass quite a fan following who can’t get enough of the flawed character, Odayan. And another aspect that is worth a mention is the sound effects by the characters are in Malayalam.
Speaking about the concept, author Suhas Sundar says, “Odayan is a villain, he was never meant to be a hero. He exists in a world where might is right. He does whatever he wants to get what he desires.”
With online fan forums abuzz with plot discussions, Suhas puts the popularity down to the bad boy aspect of the graphic comic. “I guess people like the anti-hero, the bad boy. They live vicariously through them. And Odayan is a fascinating character. Keeping the current scenario of the country, the book also has that anarchist sentiment and carve your own path feel of it which appeals to the readers,” opines Suhas.
With upteen novels that revamp mythological epics, it was the need to explore other untapped but rich literature that prompted Suhas to choose sixteenth century Kerala as the backdrop of the novel.
“There was a lot of fascinating literature in this period with immense potential which is nothing like what’s out there. Vadakkan Pattu, the ballads of Malabar spoke of heroes from this period which influenced our character. The more we researched, the more fascinated we got,” comments Suhas. Indeed, the duo of Suhas and artist Deepak Sharma referred to a lot of images including pictures of ancestral homes in Kerala that have survived. “What you get to see is a hybrid kind of design, a melting pot of cultures. The Portuguese and Chinese came on Indian shores during this era. That influenced the architecture in the novel. We did take some liberty with the material to bridge the gaps though.”
In terms of the design and concept, Odayan stands out with it’s beautiful ink work and detailed storyline.
“The reason we kept the novel monochromatic was because we wanted to keep the period epic feel to it. And we also wanted to draw attention to the character and his actions as well which is the only colour you will see is the green paint on Odayan’s face and the blood,” shares the 31-year old.