Odela 2 Is No Arundhati Copy: Sampath Nandi!

Every time a new horror film rises, it seems to carry the burden of past blockbusters like a ghost clinging to its shadow. The same has happened with Odela 2, the supernatural thriller starring Tamannaah Bhatia. With the trailer out, whispers began drawing parallels with Arundhati, but writer and creative supervisor Sampath Nandi is setting the record straight.

He reveals that Odela 2 draws its soul from ancient village folklore and deeply personal memories. “In Odela, when an evil force dies, it transforms into a soul. To stop it, an even stronger power must rise. That’s how the concept of a Shiva Shakti character came to me,” says Nandi. “My own grandmother lived as one. She reached 98 and I saw people like her in our village during my childhood. These Shiva Shaktis often became Naga Sadhus, restoring old Shiva temples. Tamannaah’s character is shaped from those real, powerful lives.”

Addressing the comparisons directly, Nandi states, “There’s no connection with Arundhati. That was a special film. This is another special film in its own way. We’ve created something visually unique—with over 150 VFX artists working for six months. The climax, shot on an elaborate set at Ramoji Film City, will be a major highlight.” He also dropped a hint about Odela 3, saying it’s planned but believes that “only the divine can decide the journey of such films.”

So, while fans may draw lines where they see similarities, Odela 2 seems rooted in its own soil—haunted not by past cinema, but by the spirit of village legends.