Lokah: Santhy Balachandran on why she was particular Kalyani Priyadarshan’s Neeli should not be transformed ‘by a male patriarchal religious figure’ | Exclusive
Lokah: In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Santhy talks about what she was particular about while deconstructing Neeli’s tale for the present generation in the Kalyani Priyadarshan film
Last Updated: 11.00 AM, Sep 10, 2025
Ever since Lokah: Chapter 1 - Chandra hit theatres to an overwhelming response, one of the most encouraging outcomes has been that it champions a woman’s perspective. The makers of the Kalyani Priyadarshan-starrer probably did not set out with that intention, but having a woman writer on board, who is well-aware of the male gaze on cinema, meant this was an ‘inevitable’ positive effect. Lokah has leading lady Kalyani Priyadarshan at the centre of the narrative, and Santhy Balachandran as a co-writer, reimagines the classic tale of Kalliyankattu Neeli, who is infamous as a vengeful spirit, targeting men. In filmmaker Dominic Arun’s Lokah, Neeli comes alive as a superhero, who fights for her people. Aside from reimagining Neeli’s myth, the film also has several feminist layers that take a sharp look at misogyny in our society through characters that gets brushed under the carpet often. In an exclusive interview with OTTplay, Santhy talks about what she was particular about while deconstructing Neeli’s tale for the present generation.
Santhy Balachandran on Neeli’s tale in Lokah
In the original Malayalam book Aithihyamala, from where Lokah takes its inspiration, Kalliyankattu Neeli is a vengeful, bloodthirsty spirit who seduces and kills men and is eventually ‘tamed’ by Kadamattathu Kathanar (a priest). But in the 2025 movie Lokah, Neeli turns a savior thanks to her mother’s dying words.
“That’s one thing I was very particular about - that Neeli should not be transformed from an evil force into a good force by a male patriarchal religious figure. The original story is that Kadamattathu Kathanar (a priest) controls Neeli. So in this case, since Dominic wanted to reinvent her as a super hero, I was very particular that her code of honor should come from a woman — her mother in this case,” Santhy explains. It is Neeli’s mother who instructs her that she should use her power for the good, to protect the vulnerable.
“We had several debates, but Dominic saw value in my perspective. That's how it became that Kathanaar was seeking Neeli out for help rather than to control her and save the local population from a vengeful spirit. Neeli and Kathanar are presented as friends,” the writer explained.
The feminist viewpoint is not just limited to Neeli’s character, the antagonist inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (played by Tamil actor Sandy Master) also comes under the radar for his misogyny. Explaining how this was established in the very first scene when we see Nachiyappa, Santhy says, “So the scene where Nachiyappa is introduced is an homage to the Neeli story we know from popular culture. A girl in a white sari alone at a crossroad… It speaks to the idea that a woman is not meant to access public places on her own. Whether in public or private, a lone woman is always considered a threat to society and the moral order…. the judgement is that she is up to no good.
“Nachiyappa doesn't do anything to her physically, but his attitude is the problem. He may be a person who is a teetotaller with a clean body, which is why he survives the virus (that also gives him superhuman powers) but his mind is not clean. That's what sends him on a different trajectory as opposed to Chandra who grew up in a very nurturing environment, connected to nature, with a very loving equation with her family, and her tribe. That's what she loses. She holds on to the code of honour her mother provides her.”
And the detailing again just doesn’t stop here, it extends to Nachiyappa’s mother as well. Explaining further, Santhy tells us, “We don’t really go deep into Nachiyappa’s past, but from whatever is shown on screen, it is clear that his misogynist father is his hero. His mother is essentially a silent victim of patriarchy. She literally doesn’t have a voice —we have deliberately not given her a single dialogue.”
Giving yet another example from the movie, Santhy points out that the senior police officer Radhika represents women with internalized misogyny. “Women can also be torch-bearers of patriarchy. She berates Nachiyappa because her idea of masculinity is what he also subscribes to — aggressive, toxic hypermasculinity,” explained Santhy, who is a post-graduate in visual anthropology from the Oxford University.
In Lokah, Kalyani Priyadarshan plays Neeli aka Chandra, who has superhuman powers. She comes across the vile cop Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda, who is the antithesis of everything that Chandra stands for.
FAQs
Q. Who is the writer of Lokah Chapter 1?
A. The writers of Lokah Chapter 1 are Santhy Balachandran and the film’s director Dominic Arun.
Q. Is Dulquer Odiyan in Lokah?
A. Dulquer is said to play an Odiyan in Lokah. However, the team has not confirmed this.
Q. Is Tovino Thomas in Lokah?
A. Yes, Tovino Thomas is in Lokah. He makes a cameo appearance as Chattan in the film.
Q. Is Lokah movie available in Hindi?
A. Yes, the Lokah movie is available in Hindi. The Malayalam film was dubbed in Hindi, along with Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.