Odayan........
The Graphic Novel Part One " Arambham" or The Beginning starts with the Legend of Parashurama Creating Keralam by throwing His Axe From Gogarum and the land was created upto Kanyakumari. In the mesmerizing Two Installments Of "Odayan" (The second Part "Yuddham" Meaning "The War") we come across Characters, Culture ,Social set Up of Kerala well etched in the minds of Us Malayalees.
Kerala In those times Had Matriarchal System and Ones Sister and her children were Given Priority. There was The "Kalaris" where Students were taught the Intricacies of the martial Art Kalaripayattu.We come across "Chekavars" who are masters of Kalaripayattu and they can be compared to the Knights we find in English Literature who Upholds The Virtue of a Woman and the weak and owes Allegiance to their Lord. Here in this Graphic Novel, The Zamorin,Ruler of Calicut is The Lord and Emperor.
The art of These Graphic Books are Superb, Dark and Brooding. Coloring just the faces of The Characters, Especially "Odayan""Perhaps, a Corruption of "Othenen,The greatest of The Chekavars" and Unniarcha, a memorable Female Heroine,whose Bravery was extolled in the "Vadakkan Pattugal" or Ballads, gives the Art the Extra Zip, which put these books on par or above many Western Counterparts.
As a Malayalee,I loved the frequent use of Malayalam words to denote sounds of Fights and Exclamations.The Tale of Odayan, The antihero who goes about destabilizing the Realm of The Zamorin and who in Returns sends Some of His Best Fighters to Stop him forms the Better part of the Story........
Arambham,Yudham and "Pratiyogitam (The Tournament) forms the Three Volum
es. After enjoying the First two Volumes I am eagerly waiting for "The Tournament" to Begin..........
