Quick answer: The Secret of Kalinga cast is led by Dhyan Sreenivasan, Saneesh Unnikrishnan, Althaf Salim, Riyaz Khan, Malavika Menon and Adirsha Vinodh. Saneesh plays Aji, the character at the centre of much of the present-day story, while Adirsha plays Gayathri and Ajeesh Jose is credited as Manaf. Several supporting character names have not been consistently published, so this guide keeps those actors unassigned rather than guessing.
The Malayalam mystery-horror-comedy is set around a college, a forest and a sealed well tied to an old Kalinga legend. The ensemble moves between the campus mystery, family connections and the supernatural history behind Mandhakini.
| Actor | Character or confirmed story placement |
|---|---|
| Saneesh Unnikrishnan | Aji |
| Adirsha Vinodh | Gayathri |
| Ajeesh Jose | Manaf |
| Dhyan Sreenivasan | Aji’s brother, connected to the mystery and its history |
| Althaf Salim | Part of the brothers’ family track |
| Riyaz Khan | Campus security guard |
Saneesh Unnikrishnan as Aji
Saneesh Unnikrishnan plays Aji, a central figure in the campus storyline. Although Dhyan Sreenivasan is the most prominent name in the marketing, Aji carries a substantial share of the present-day narrative as the characters move closer to the forest mystery.
Saneesh also directed the film and co-wrote it with Jishnu M Aaryan. That combination makes Aji especially important to understanding the movie’s balance of mystery, comedy and supernatural escalation.
Dhyan Sreenivasan as Aji’s brother
Dhyan Sreenivasan plays Aji’s brother. His character is tied to the history surrounding the location and becomes part of the effort to make sense of the strange events. Public cast listings do not consistently provide the character’s name, so the family relationship is the safer identification.
Adirsha Vinodh as Gayathri
Adirsha Vinodh plays Gayathri. She is part of the younger group pulled into the campus and forest storyline. The role also gives the film one of its clearer named characters outside Aji’s family track.
Ajeesh Jose as Manaf
Ajeesh Jose is credited as Manaf. It is one of the few actor-character pairings listed directly in the film’s public full credits.
Althaf Salim and Riyaz Khan
Althaf Salim appears in the family strand connected to Dhyan Sreenivasan and Aji. Riyaz Khan plays the security guard linked to the college setting. Both actors are prominently billed, but the available credits do not consistently attach a formal character name to either role.
Who else is in the Secret of Kalinga cast?
The wider credited cast includes Malavika Menon, Nithin Parameswar, Gowri Nandha, Lekshmy Nandan, Ullas Pandalam and Mareena Michael Kurisingal. These performers are part of the film’s campus, family and supernatural ensemble, but reliable public credits do not identify every character by name.
For streaming details and a practical watch-or-skip assessment, read our Secret of Kalinga OTT release and watchability guide. The film starts streaming on Sun NXT on July 24, 2026.
Secret of Kalinga key crew
- Director: Saneesh Unnikrishnan
- Writers: Saneesh Unnikrishnan and Jishnu M Aaryan
- Cinematography: Asrith Santhosh
- Editing: Aswanth Raveendran
- Music: Dhanush Harikumar and Vimaljith Vijayan
- Additional songs: Gokul Sreekandan
- Producers: Basheer Varandharappilly and Sulthan
Frequently asked questions
Who plays Aji in Secret of Kalinga?
Director Saneesh Unnikrishnan plays Aji, a central character in the present-day campus mystery.
Who plays Gayathri in Secret of Kalinga?
Adirsha Vinodh plays Gayathri.
Who plays Manaf in Secret of Kalinga?
Ajeesh Jose is credited as Manaf.
Is Dhyan Sreenivasan the main character?
Dhyan Sreenivasan is the film’s biggest billed name and plays Aji’s brother, but Aji, played by director Saneesh Unnikrishnan, carries a major share of the present-day narrative.