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Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra Explores & Redefines Malayalam Cinema's Uncharted Territory

Dominic Arun's latest film remains utterly faithful to the world it builds, offering both spectacle and substance without compromising its internal logic.

Neelima+Menon

Aug 29, 2025

Promo poster for Lokah - Chapter One: Chandra

THERE IS A DELICIOUS MYSTERY and thrill in the way Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (directed by Dominic Arun) begins to establish its world. The film opens with what can easily be termed one of the most scintillating introductions in Malayalam cinema. We are placed directly in the midst of action as we stare at Chandra, a young, lithesome woman in black overalls, a glinting septum piercing, and streaks of crimson running through her hair. Bruised and visibly shaken, she hides behind an empty drum, catching her breath, as the voice on the other end of the phone pushes her to fight on. It’s a scene that has the urgency of a survival drama, the choreography of a martial arts thriller, and the rawness of an intimate character moment. And then, just as we are beginning to settle into this hyper-real atmosphere, the film flips its own register. The woman’s image is pulled apart and reassembled into an animation, her figure dissolving into an abstract composition of oranges, greys, and reds. The transition is startling yet seamless, a bold visual statement that carries us into the title card. In just a matter of minutes, Lokah signals its aesthetic ambition as well as its refusal to be boxed into conventional modes of storytelling.

As Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) settles into city life — working late-night shifts at a café and retreating to an apartment washed in sombre greys — the film gradually introduces us to its wider set of characters. One standout moment arrives when Sunny (Naslen) encounters Chandra for the first time. Their locked gaze carries an unusual charge: the scene deftly intertwines the aura of mystery surrounding Chandra with Sunny’s effortless sense of youth and carefreeness. It’s a small but striking example of how the film seamlessly weaves character details into its visual storytelling.

ALSO READ | Lokah Chapter One: Chandra director on creating a woman superhero film with Kalyani Priyadarshan

Sunny is your everyday drifter, who insists he has quit his job to pursue higher studies, but spends most of his time idling away. His two friends, Venu (Chandu Salim Kumar) and Naijil (Arun Kurien), are no different — equally laid-back, moving between stargazing sessions and carefree parties. What makes this seemingly ordinary trio interesting is the way the film threads them into Chandra’s world, allowing their lighthearted presence to play against her air of mystery.

Chandra is fashioned as a quintessential Marvel-style hero — endowed with superhuman powers, driven by a strong moral compass, defined by selflessness, purpose, and the ability to rise above adversity. The ingenuity lies in how the film roots her backstory in Kerala folklore, yet reshapes it with a believable, contemporary spin. What makes Chandra stand out, however, is not just her bravura but the quiet melancholy that lingers in her eyes — a vulnerability that renders her deeply relatable. Even as she fights for a larger cause, she clings to the photograph of her deceased boyfriend, a reminder that her heroism is shadowed by private grief.

The narrative strikes an effective balance between Sunny’s laid-back world and Chandra’s more enigmatic one. A standout highlight is the inspired use of the Kiliye remix, which plays as Chandra, dressed in immaculate white, makes her party entrance. This moment blends nostalgia, style, and character presence with effortless ease. Refreshingly, the film doesn’t linger on the possibility of a conventional romance between Sunny and Chandra. Instead, it pivots into sharply written sequences of dark humour that follow Sunny’s discovery of her true identity. Even in those sardonic exchanges, the bond between them quietly deepens, adding both levity and texture to their relationship.

Then there is the antagonist — Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy Master), a vile cop whose misogyny is matched by his teetotal lifestyle. His menace is immediate and unmistakable: one of the first signs comes when he refuses to salute his senior female officer, a small act that instantly radiates arrogance and threat. Whenever he is on screen, the atmosphere tightens, and the sense of fear becomes palpable. Yet the senior female officer herself is largely one-dimensional, which paradoxically draws a sliver of empathy toward Sandy’s plight. The character’s complexity unfolds later, when Sandy steps into his own narrative, revealing a facet that, in hindsight, feels inevitable yet still impactful.

The fight sequences in Lokah are raw, visceral, and superbly choreographed, but what elevates them is the synergy between Kalyani Priyadarshan’s performance and the film’s visual style. Every punch she throws feels grounded and believable yet infused with the flair of a superhero in motion. The cinematography (Nimish Ravi) complements her movements perfectly, using tight framing and fluid camera work to heighten the intensity without overwhelming the viewer. One scene lingers in memory: she is almost beaten, bloodied and battered, yet rises to claim triumph. The combination of her physicality, the careful choreography, and the cinematic framing makes every moment of that struggle feel entirely authentic, marrying raw action with emotional resonance.

Naslen proves to be a smart casting choice, effortlessly inhabiting the role of the charming, endearing boy next door. His innate warmth and ease provide a perfect counterpoint to Chandra’s intensity, and even when he steps beyond his comfort zone, he does so with a natural, believable flair that keeps the character both relatable and compelling. Jakes Bejoy’s music injects verve and tension into the film’s frames, perfectly complementing the narrative’s highs and lows. The score feels like a fusion of netherworldly eeriness and modern urban pulse, tied together with a subtle emotional undercurrent that resonates long after each scene.

Some more of Naslen, here on OTTplay

Typical of a Marvel-style universe, Lokah also offers glimpses of diverse characters with unique powers, hinting at crossover events that could expand the story world. These appearances are crafted as entertaining cameos, each leaving an impression while promising to add depth and intrigue to future chapters.

Undoubtedly, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is a brilliant piece of cinema, seamlessly charting previously unexplored territory in Malayalam filmmaking. It is a film that remains utterly faithful to the world it builds, offering both spectacle and substance without compromising its internal logic.

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