Lokah: Breaking the Stereotype
Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra is a Malayalam-language dark fantasy superhero film directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salman under his banner Wayfarer Films. The movie has been unstoppable at the box office, emerging as one of the biggest blockbusters in Malayalam cinema of 2025.
Impressing the Malayali audience has become increasingly challenging due to the rapid evolution of the Malayalam film industry and the consistently high standards of its storytelling. Since Manjummel Boys, the audience has grown accustomed to films with uncompromising craft, strong narratives, and cultural rootedness. Naturally, Lokah continues this trajectory, further influencing the larger Indian film industry with its quality and innovation.
The film’s central character, Chandra, is brilliantly portrayed by actress Kalyani Priyadarshan. Chandra is reimagined as a vampire — Kalliyankattu Neeli — a figure from Kerala’s folklore often used to scare children. However, in this adaptation, the screenwriters have transformed the myth into a feminist re-envisioning, crafting Neeli into a superheroine exclusively owned by Kerala’s cultural imagination. For the first time, Malayalis can proudly say: “We have our own superhero.”
What truly sets Lokah apart from other superhero narratives is its feminist lens. Breaking stereotypes begins with making the central superhero character a woman. The film further explores gender politics through symbolic visual metaphors and layered dialogues, showcasing how women are perceived by society from multiple perspectives.
One of the notable supporting characters, Nanchiyappa (played by Master Sandy), is written as a male chauvinist archetype. He believes women who walk at night or dress up during late hours are immoral, labeling them as “sluts” or “prostitutes.” This regressive mindset is deliberately contrasted with Chandra’s arc, creating a narrative conflict that challenges patriarchal values.
Co-scriptwriter Shanti explained in an interview that she intended the audience to witness the story from a female perspective, offering a bold shift in Malayalam cinema’s superhero genre.
