At its core, the movie follows Chandra as she embarks on her mission, with the challenges she faces forming the crux of the story.
Published Sep 02, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Sep 02, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Kalyani Priyadarshan's ‘Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra’. (Supplied)
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has become the talk of the town. The Malayalam film, featuring Kalyani Priyadarshan as a female superhero named Chandra, has turned out to be a superhit, surpassing the box office collections of Mohanlal’s Onam release Hridayapoorvam.
Apart from Malayalam, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, has also been dubbed in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada, and reports suggest that the film is performing well in these states too.
It is undoubtedly a proud moment for the makers, who have introduced a female superhero and laid the foundation for the Lokah Cinematic Universe, which will feature more films in the future.
The movie is written and directed by Dominic Arun, who made his debut with the black comedy Tharangam in 2017. Santhy Balachandran contributed additional script and dramaturgy for Lokah. According to her, the film is the result of four years of effort, during which she, Dominic Arun, and the rest of the crew worked together to build the cinematic universe. She also mentioned that Dulquer Salmaan, the producer, understood their vision and fully supported it.
The story of the movie is set in the modern world. Kalyani Priyadarshan plays the role of Chandra, a female superhero, the main character. Her portrayal of is unlike any we’ve seen in the genre before.
Chandra’s backstory is one of the film’s major highlights, drawing inspiration from Malayalam folktales that feature spirits and vampires. This familiar and culturally rooted element keeps the audience engaged throughout. The movie begins by introducing Chandra and the male lead, played by Naslen Gafoor. However, the story doesn’t place extra emphasis on Naslen’s character; instead, it remains focused on the core narrative and the larger cinematic universe being built.
Chandra is on a mission, and her team members bring plenty of surprises, including several cameo appearances. In this first installment, the makers introduce not only Chandra but also cameos by Dulquer Salmaan and Tovino Thomas. Another major cameo is included as well, though the character’s face remains hidden—adding to the mystery and building anticipation for the sequel.
At its core, the movie follows Chandra as she embarks on her mission, with the challenges she faces forming the crux of the story.
Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra. (Supplied)
Kalyani Priyadarshan has made history as the first female superhero in Malayalam cinema, with the film showcasing some spectacular action sequences. In various promotional interviews, Kalyani mentioned that she underwent extensive training and put in significant effort to prepare for the fight scenes.
As Chandra, she soars between buildings, fights like a professional, and displays supernatural powers. However, she is not a typical superhero who saves the world, as seen in DC or Marvel films. Instead, she battles dark forces that stand in her way. The film features one of Kalyani’s finest performances to date.
This role comes at a time when there is an ongoing conversation around equal pay for women in the film industry. The film also stands as a powerful response to doubts about the viability of big-budget, women-led films.
The creators could have easily opted for a male superhero with a young actor to cater to a male-dominated industry. However, director Dominic Arun and co-writer Santhy Balachandran had a clear vision—and from that, Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero was born. The makers have confirmed that more films are in the pipeline, with post-credit scenes hinting strongly at what’s to come.
‘Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra’ is VFX heavy. (X)
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra boasts one of the finest technical teams in recent Malayalam cinema. The cinematography by Nimish Ravi brings a distinct visual language to the film, with his frames adding depth and variety to scenes that have received a thunderous response in theatres.
The film’s extensive VFX work was handled by Little Hippo Studios, led by Aneesh Kutty. With a large portion of the film relying on visual effects, the VFX team delivered an immersive experience that has been widely praised. Aneesh told South First that the response to their work has been overwhelming, not just from Kerala but also from audiences outside the state—an achievement he describes as truly gratifying.
Production design by Banglan and art direction by Jithu Sebastian have also earned acclaim. The film transitions seamlessly between the historical settings depicting Chandra’s past and the modern-day backdrop of Bengaluru, both of which have been praised for their authenticity and aesthetic appeal.
Jakes Bejoy’s music and background score elevate the film further, perfectly complementing the universe filled with vampires, mythical elements, and dark folklore. Chaman Chacko’s sharp editing ensures a gripping pace throughout, with no unnecessary lags, helping to maintain the film’s intensity and flow.
According to Aneesh, CG and VFX work in any superhero film is always thrilling because the timing, spacing, and effects used in storytelling must create goosebumps moments for the audience.
“The process involves much more work compared to other films, especially due to the world-building aspect, which was a major challenge. We had just two months to complete the VFX after the edit, and our team endured sleepless nights—it was exhausting. But we managed to finish everything on time. The overwhelming response from audiences makes us happy and reassures us that the cinematic universe we built worked well in theatres,” he said.
“The audience must feel that the characters truly have superpowers. To achieve that, we had to set specific timing and pace for each character. Their special effects, continuity, and the gradual progression of these elements had to be carefully monitored during the process. Malayalee audiences are already familiar with international superhero films, so doing a rooted, realistic story made it even more challenging to match the pacing they expect. But the positive theatre response shows that our efforts paid off,” he added.
“We aimed to use VFX in a minimal and meaningful way in Lokah, even though we took some creative references from DC and Marvel films,” Aneesh said.
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has emerged as the clear Onam winner, collecting over ₹50 crores within just four days of its release. The film, which hit theatres on August 28, has already surpassed the box office collections of Mohanlal’s Onam release Hridayapoorvam, pushing it to second place.
Lokah is expected to continue its strong performance, with early morning shows being scheduled across Kerala—most of which are already sold out. The Onam festival season has further boosted the film’s prospects, and trade experts predict that it will cross ₹100 crores soon, especially with the overwhelming response it is receiving from other states as well.
Kalyani Priyadarshan, is also starring in another recent Malayalam release, Odum Kuthira Chadum Kuthira, which has received mixed reviews.
The massive success of Lokah marks a significant milestone for the Malayalam film industry and for Kalyani herself, who is now gaining more prominent roles in both the Malayalam and Tamil industries.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
