Lokah: Before Kalyani Priyadarshan-starrer, this Mammootty film reimagined a legendary Malayalam lore

Lokah Chapter 1 movie: Long before Kalyani Priyadarshan's superhero film hit our screens, we had seen another acclaimed movie, starring Mammootty, which also subverted a popular folklore.

Lokah, Mammootty

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is a reimagination of the tale of Kalliyankattu Neeli, who was depicted as a vengeful female spirit in Malayalam folklore. But Dominic Arun’s latest Malayalam film Lokah, portrays Neeli as kind-hearted, and not as the bloodthirsty Yaskshi or vampire. Long before Lokah hit our screens, we had seen another acclaimed movie, starring Mammootty, which also subverted a popular folklore. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha is this film, which was penned by the legendary MT Vasudevan Nair.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha to Lokah

Malayalam folklore has long since been fodder to our cinema with several of films borrowing liberally from ancient tales. But instead of sticking to the original text, the stories were also reimagined, adding more nuance to the characters. One of the most celebrated works in this genre is Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha, helmed by Hariharan. For this 1989 Malayalam film, auteur MT Vasudevan Nair subverted the lore of warrior Chandu Chekevan, who, up until then, was referred to with the moniker of ‘Chathiyan’ Chandu (meaning a cheat).

But in MT’s world, Chandu is depicted as the misunderstood and wronged hero, who is in fact the victim of treachery and deceit. MT painted Chandu as the chivalrous man and courageous warrior, unlike the original folklore of Vadakkan Pattu (ballad), where he was labelled a cheat.

Malayalam megastar Mammootty brings to life Chandu, a stellar performance that fetched him a National Award for Best Actor. MT Vasudevan Nair too won for Best Screenplay for the film, which won two other accolades at the National Awards.

Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha has attained a cult classic status in Malayalam, with several of its dialogue, including ‘Chandu vine tholipkan aavilla makkale’, popular to this day.

Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra, on the other hand, is co-written by Santhy Balachandran and director Dominic Arun. Lokah places the infamous Kalliyankattu Neeli in a contemporary setting, but as a superhero. This is one of the most winning aspects of Lokah, apart from the well-crafted narrative and some stellar performances. Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha takes its inspiration from Vadakkan Pattu, while Lokah looks into Aithihyamala (which is a collection of stories) to reinvent Neeli. Kalyani Priyadarshan plays Kalliyankattu Neeli aka Chandra in Lokah.

Also read: Lokah Chapter 1 – Chandra Review: Kalyani Priyadarshan-Naslen's film cleverly revives Malayalam's iconic fable

Incidentally, Mammotty is also a part of the Lokah film.Though the Malayalam megastar does not make an appearance in the film, the team confirmed that he is playing Moothon.

FAQs

Q. Where can I watch Lokah Chapter 1?

A. You can watch Lokah Chapter 1 in theatres now. The film will land on OTT after it completes its theatrical run. Though not officially confirmed, Lokah will reportedly land on Netflix.

Q. What is the story of Lokah?

A. The story of Lokah revolves around the mysterious woman of Chandra, who moves to Bangalore. It is later revealed that Chandra is infact Kalliyankattu Neeli.

Q. What is the health issue of Mammootty?

A. Mammootty has been away from the limelight as he was under treatment. He was reportedly suffering from cancer, but his team had denied this.

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