Karan Johar announces Dharma Productions' Malayalam debut with 'Odiyan: The Age of Illusion'

Jun 16, 2026

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 16 : Filmmaker Karan Johar has announced Dharma Productions' first-ever venture into Malayalam cinema, marking a significant expansion for one of India's most prominent production houses.
The project, titled 'Odiyan: The Age of Illusion', will be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Rahul Sadasivan and star Manju Warrier and Prithviraj Sukumaran in lead roles.
Karan shared the announcement on Instagram revealing details of the collaboration and expressing his excitement about Dharma Productions' entry into the Malayalam film industry.
"We at Dharma Productions are taking our first step into the world of Malayalam cinema and I am proud to announce that we have the best partners to do it with," Karan wrote, adding, "Prithviraj, we've come such a long way with multiple collaborations behind us and hopefully many more ahead of us too."
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The film will be produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta and Supriya Menon.
Dharma Productions is joining forces with Prithviraj Productions for the ambitious project, which is set against the backdrop of 19th-century Kerala and draws from the region's rich folklore and cultural mythology.
Karan also praised director Rahul Sadasivan, whose previous works include Bhoothakaalam and Bramayugam.
Highlighting the filmmaker's distinctive storytelling style, Karan wrote, "It gives us great pride to announce our film - Odiyan, directed by the supremely talented Rahul Sadasivan. His knack for eery storytelling rooted in folklore is a feat in this age of cinema."
The announcement further confirmed that veteran actor Manju Warrier and Prithviraj Sukumaran will headline the film. Referring to the cast, Karan wrote, "Bringing this to life on screen is the exceptional Manju Warrier and, of course, our favourite Prithviraj himself."
While the makers have not disclosed a release date, the project has been confirmed as "coming soon" to cinemas.