Lokah director Dominic Arun: When I first pitched the film to Dulquer Salmaan, he said something that has now come true
The Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra recently made it to the Rs 200 cr club. Led by Kalyani Priyadarshan, the film has been backed by Dulquer’s banner
Last Updated: 07.21 PM, Sep 11, 2025
Filmmaker Dominic Arun is on cloud nine, what with the phenomenal success that his newest film, Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra has achieved. The film has been doing well not only on homeground in Kerala, but across the border too, and has already broken into the Rs 200 crore club in only 2 weeks at the box office. What he finds most astounding is the attention to detail that audiences are paying while watching the film and the level of discussions surrounding elements in the narrative.
Dulquer on Lokah: It is a film with rewatch potential
Initially conceived as a small, indie film, the world of Lokah was expanded at the behest of cinematographer Nimish Ravi, who then asked Dominic to take it to actor-filmmaker Dulquer Salmaan and see if it would excite him enough to produce it. “When I’d first pitched the film to Dulquer Salmaan, he said something, which, strangely enough, has now come true. He’d said that this is a film that has immense rewatch potential. It didn’t strike me then, but now, the feedback I get from friends and audiences is that most are watching it at least twice,” he told Club FM.
Surprised by this turn of events, Dominic is also supremely thrilled that viewers are finding all the easter eggs and coming up with theories about characters and possible narrative progressions in his proposed Lokah franchise, which will have 4 more films. “It’s very satisfying for any filmmaker when audiences identify minor details and discuss it widely. It’s a very good feeling that people are doing that with Lokah,” he says.
Talking about setting the film in Bengaluru, Dominic states that while it is not openly mentioned that it is the Karnataka capital, he figured that for a character like Chandra, it is the best place to remain ‘invisible’ and maintain a low profile. “Also, it is a city with a mixed culture and has a healthy population of Malayalis. You can’t find them as easily in, say, Hyderabad or Mumbai, as you do in Bengaluru. You have hardcore Malayali pockets there and hence we chose the city,” he says, adding that in the world of Lokah, it is a fictional city.
FAQs
Q. Who is the superhero played by Kalyani Priyadarshan?
A. Kalyani Priyadarshan plays a superhero character named Chandra in the movie Lokah.
Q. Who is the producer of Lokah Chapter 1?
A. South star Dulquer Salmaan is the producer of Lokah Chapter 1.
Q. How is Kalyani Priyadarshan related to Mohanlal?
A. Kalyani Priyadarshan and Mohanlal are not related. Superstar Mohanlal and Kalyani’s father director Priyadarshan are friends and have collaborated on several hit films.
Q. Where can one watch Lokah Chapter 1 after its theatrical run?
A. Lokah Chapter 1 is currently in theatres. It is rumoured to have been picked up by Netflix for the post-theatrical digitial streaming, but neither the team, nor the platform, has confirmed this yet.