Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra is a Malayalam dark-fantasy superhero film directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under Wayfarer Films. Starring Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen, the movie combines Indian folklore, supernatural elements, action, and modern-day storytelling. It serves as the opening chapter of a larger cinematic universe planned around the Lokah franchise.
Story and Plot
The film follows Chandra, a mysterious woman who arrives in Bengaluru from Sweden. She rents an apartment and meets Sunny, an unemployed young man, along with his friends Venu and Naijil. Although Sunny becomes interested in her, Chandra prefers to maintain a distance from others and works night shifts at a café.
Meanwhile, an illegal organ-trafficking operation is being protected by corrupt police officer Nachiyappa Gowda. When one of the gang members attempts to attack Chandra, she secretly uses supernatural abilities to protect Sunny and others.
The gang eventually kidnaps Chandra. As her assailants try to kill her, she reveals her true self as a yakshi, which is a supernatural being from an ancient legend. She says her name was Kalliyankattu Neeli and that she became a supernatural protector after a tragic incident involving her tribe. She later met Kadamattathu Kathanar, who helped her use her powers against evil.
Nachiyappa learns about Chandra’s secret and becomes a dangerous supernatural creature after being bitten by her. The conflict leads to a major confrontation, with Chandra ultimately defeating him. She then leaves Sunny and his friends, suggesting that her story is only beginning.
Cast and Characters
The movie features a combination of established actors and younger performers:
Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra
Naslen as Sunny
Sandy Master as Nachiyappa Gowda
Tovino Thomas as Chathan
Arun Kurian as Naijil
Chandu Salimkumar as Venu
Nishanth Sagar as Prakash
Vijayaraghavan as Mammootty
Dulquer Salmaan as Charlie/Odiyan
Sunny Wayne as Kathanar
Several appearances by prominent Malayalam actors add to the film’s wider-universe appeal.
Production and Filming
The project was developed as the first installment of a Malayalam superhero franchise. Dominic Arun and Santhy Balachandran worked on the screenplay, while Dulquer Salmaan was involved in shaping the film’s larger franchise vision.
Pre-production began in September 2024, and principal photography lasted approximately 94 days, concluding in January 2025. Filming took place across Kerala and other locations, with elaborate sets created to represent the film’s mythical world.
Nimish Ravi handled cinematography, while Chaman Chakko was responsible for editing. Production design by Banglan and art direction by Jithu Sebastian helped establish the film’s distinctive fantasy atmosphere.
Music and Visual Style
The music was composed by Jakes Bejoy, with rap elements by Reble. The promotional song “Thani Lokah Murakkaari” was performed by Jyoti Nooran, marking her Malayalam singing debut.
The film’s visual identity combines colourful production design, supernatural imagery and modern action sequences. Its use of Indian folklore within a superhero framework gives Lokah a style that differs from conventional superhero productions.
Release and Reception
Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra was released theatrically on 28 August 2025 and was dubbed into Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Kannada. Critics particularly appreciated its world-building, cinematography, visual effects, music and mythology-inspired storytelling. Some reviews, however, pointed to pacing issues, particularly during parts of the second half.
The film also performed strongly commercially, entering the ₹100-crore worldwide club within its first week and subsequently crossing higher box-office milestones.
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