Santhy Balachandran on Lokah success: ‘We thought of it as a high-budget Indie film that would likely not work for everybody’ | Exclusive

Lokah: In an exclusive chat with OTTplay, Santhy Balachandran speaks about collaborating with Dominic Arun as a writer, the extent of research that has gone into film, the overwhelming response & more

Lokah, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Santhy Balachandran

When a film becomes a hit, it is often the lead actors who are in the limelight, probably along with the directors. Seldom does the spotlight extend to those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes. But ironically, for actress Santhy Balachandran, it is her writing for Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra that is winning her accolades even though she was part of acclaimed films like Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikattu that failed to shine the spotlight on her.

Not just a co-writer, the actress is also credited as a dramaturg in the Dominic Arun directorial, highlighting her efforts as she was involved with every aspect of creating the world of Lokah. A voracious reader, Santhy tells us that books, including Aithihyamala which is the inspiration for Lokah, were her bedtime companions. Add to that, Santhy’s academic and research background (she is an alumna of Oxford University), the Lokah team could not have asked for a more resourceful person on board. In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Santhy Balachandran speaks about collaborating with Dominic Arun as a writer, the extent of research that has gone into film, the overwhelming response and more.

Excerpts from Santhy Balachandran interview

Lokah is unlike anything we have seen in Malayalam. Could you tell us how the project materialized?

It was Dominic’s original idea. He wanted to write a story about what it would be like if there are super human beings living amongst us without us knowing. He wanted to connect it to a local lore and that’s how the idea of Kaliyankattu Neeli came up. It was initially supposed to be this one small film about a mysterious, supernatural woman who comes into contact with three young men. Through discussions within the creative team including Dominic, Nimish, Jitin Puthanchery and myself, the film’s scale magnified and the potential for turning it into a superhero franchise emerged. The core idea that otherworldly beings might be living among us was exciting and I really enjoyed that phase of exploring myths from within and outside Kerala, to incorporate into the world we set out to build. It became clear that this story presented opportunities for adding layers — whether about indigenous people, power equations and privilege, or about a woman’s experience of being in the world. I was lucky to work with someone like Dominic who saw value in the perspectives I brought to the table.

Also read: Lokah: 5 years, Rs 30 crore budget! Santhy Balachandran on crafting Kalyani Priyadarshan-led superhero film | Exclusive

How did you as writers zero in on Kalliyankattu Neeli

Dominic basically wanted to create a vampire story and when you think of the vampire equivalent in Kerala, it is Yakshi, right? So that's how the original idea developed. And once we discovered this link, it was very exciting to rebuild the original story and to bring this character into the contemporary world.

Because of my academic research background, I have come across multiple readings of familiar myths. So this seemed like a great opportunity to use the tropes you see in superhero movies, such as the origin story, but to reinvent the myth while recasting Neeli as a superhero. We thus updated a character widely regarded as malevolent into a superhero version, while still staying connected to our roots.

Also read: Lokah: Santhy Balachandran on why she was particular Kalyani Priyadarshan’s Neeli should not be transformed ‘by a male patriarchal religious figure’ | Exclusive

Lokah has become a resounding success with stellar box office numbers?

We honestly did not think the film would be loved so much. We just wanted to create a good film and we were all excited by Dominic's vision. Everyone who came on board was aligned to that vision. I think all the love that has been poured into the project has returned to us manifold.

When we started working on this film, we still thought of it as a high-budget Indie film that would likely not work for everybody. We had no idea that people would turn it into a massive success. We are super grateful, but now the important thing for us is to go back to the basics and work on an equally good screenplay for the next part. If you write well, talented collaborators would be excited to join the project.

On being credited as a dramaturg

My role in this project was not just as Dominic’s writing partner. I was also an active participant in the production process. A lot of effort went into the detailing required for the world-building you see on screen. That's why I have a dramaturgy credit in addition to a screenwriting credit. I liaised with the art, costume departments, worked on concept notes for songs to make sure that the vision for this world and its philosophy and mythology were cohesive. The lines in the title credits have a reference to the larger mythology we are building. All of this has to stay consistent, as it is not just a standalone film, but an introduction to the rest of the universe. The details need to make sense when people revisit this film.

In the case of the costumes, the main characters have certain symbols on their outfits that connect to the lore and to their individual quirks. Naijil, for example, wears a 404 error locket as he is a flaky character, who disappears on a whim. Melwy, our costume designer, went out of his way to fulfill these requests. Archana Rao also came on board for the special costumes and those have several details hidden in plain sight. We are lucky to have found enthusiastic collaborators like them in every department.

How was it working with Kalyani, and others on the set?

We had an amazing cast and crew. There were a lot of young girls also who were working on the set, in different departments. It was a youthful, vibrant set with a very healthy culture. That’s also because of the way Dominic handles everything — calmly and respectfully. Even if there are disagreements, he would handle it very professionally. Everybody had a sense of camaraderie and I do believe that positive energy has translated on screen. Kalyani is extremely professional and positive, she always made sure she was ready for whatever we were set to shoot. She is always on time, she respects other technicians and actors. All the actors we worked with had that great attitude.

Lokah director Dominic Arun is also the filmmaker of your debut film Tharangam. Your experience of collaborating with him as a writer?

I have always had a fruitful working relationship with Dominic. As writers, our strengths are very different and he has always given me the space to express myself. Dominic is a commercial filmmaker at heart and wants to make entertaining movies. I am certain that he would have still made an entertaining film without my contribution, but he gave me the space to add in a different perspective and it is nice that those nuances are also getting critical appreciation, while people are enjoying the storytelling.

You also ventured into screenplay writing at a time when there is much discussion about not having strong female characters and by extension, female writers in Malayalam. How challenging is it to be a woman writer?

In the first place, to be a writer at all is difficult, whether you are a man or a woman. Writing can be a lonely, angst and self-doubt ridden process. But unless you write something, there is nothing really that you can create. The lack of great female characters recently has happened because most of the focus has gone on writing really cool male characters. There is a perception that people will not come to the theatres if a film features a female lead, and that women-led films are not entertaining. This creates a chicken-egg situation where writers feel discouraged to create interesting female protagonists. Because if a film you write is not successful, it is harder to find more work later, whether you are a man writing or a woman writing. It is a systemic thing and not about individual people choosing to create. It is also about the economics of it and how conventional wisdom encourages only certain kinds of cinema. I really hope the success of Lokah opens doors for filmmakers to tell stories that defy expectations. Because as Kalyani said in a recent interview, we must not underestimate the audience.

You played the role of Kingini in Krishand’s series 4.5 Gang which released on OTT on the same day as Lokah hit theatres

Krishand is another filmmaker whose vision is very exciting. I think everyone is drawn to his world because he is very original and detail-oriented. He has great clarity on what he wants to convey. He was building this crazy world of c-grade gangsters, and when he asked if I wanted to be part of it, even though Kingini’s role is quite small in terms of screen space, I jumped at the offer. I just wanted to work with him because I think he has a brilliant mind. I wanted to see how he conceives things and executes them.

You are also active in theatre and was also recently part of Roshan Mathew’s Bye Bye Byepass. About juggling theatre and cinema?

The film, the series and the play coincided unexpectedly. The most challenging part was managing my time and energy. But that’s part of the game. When you have a creative soul, you want it all.

Is Lokah 2 your next writing project?

Looks like it. Before the release, we talked about doing something else in the middle. Now, I don’t know. We have to sit down and discuss the way forward. We do have other scripts we had worked on earlier. That said, Lokah chapter 2 is, of course, a priority.

Upcoming acting projects

Anandan Kaadu, a bilingual film starring Arya, penned by Murali Gopy and directed by Jiyen Krishnakumar is coming up. There is also Krishand’s Masthishka Maranam, starring Rajisha Vijayan. I also acted in a film by Kamal KM, who helmed Pada. His partner Sudha Padmaja Francis has written the script, and it is a story that centres around female friendship. The lead character is played by Divya Prabha, who is a very dear friend. It is an independent film — friends getting together to create something because we believed in the vision that Sudha and Kamal had for the film. I have also done a cameo in Don Palathara’s next feature.

FAQs

Q. What is Santhy Balachandran's background?

A. Santhy Balachandran is a noted actress from Kerala. She is also active in theatre.

Q. What are Santhy Balachandran's notable roles?

A. Santhy Balachandran's notable roles are in films such as Jallikattu and Paapam Cheyyathavar Kalleriyatte.

Q. What is the Lokah movie about?

A. The Lokah movie is about a mysterious woman named Chandra, who moves to an apartment in Bengaluru. It is later revealed that she has superhuman powers.

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