'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra': Five reasons why everyone is talking about the Malayalam superhero film

Spoilers ahead about Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

Lokah, Lokah, Lokah! It’s everywhere. What is it? A bird? A plane? Another name for Superman?

Dominic Arun’s Malayalam-language Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is the first in a series of films about a league of superheroes protecting the world from evil. The word “lokah” itself means universe.

Produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, Chandra

introduces viewers to the titular heroine, the young men who will become her allies, villains and other members of the league. The cast includes Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra and Naslen as Sunny, who falls for Chandra.

Arun Kurian and Chandu Salimkumar play Sunny’s friends. Sandy plays Nachiyappa, the venal police inspector who crosses paths with Chandra. Tovino Thomas, Dulquer Salmaan and Sunny Wayne play Chandra’s comrades.

Released on August 28 in Kerala and in other states with English subtitles, the supernatural fantasy adventure is already the rage. Chandra is being held up as only the latest example of Malayalam cinema’s knack for compelling stories with strongly etched characters and progressive values.

Dominic Arun wrote Lokah along with the actor Santhy Balachandran, who also appears in the film in a scene. The screenplay is faithful to genre conventions but also subversive, one of the reasons why Lokah

is a smash hit.

Let’s take a look at the factors behind Lokah’s success and fame.

1 An independent and...

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