Dulquer Salmaan's Wayfarer Films is gearing up to release "Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra" during the Onam festival, marking a significant moment in Indian cinema with the introduction of its first lady superhero. Directed by Dominic Arun, the film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the titular role of Chandra, alongside Naslen in a key role.
"Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra" is not just another film; it is the first installment in a planned superhero cinematic universe titled Lokah. This ambitious project aims to redefine Malayalam cinema by creating an indigenous cinematic universe rooted in local culture, folklore, and mythology. Dominic Arun mentioned that the idea for the film was discussed as early as 2020 and developed organically. He emphasized that creating a female superhero was not a deliberate attempt to break the mold.
The recently released teaser has generated significant buzz on social media. It opens with Naslen's character navigating a haunting, dystopian, factory-like landscape. The scene quickly shifts gears into adrenaline-fueled action, showcasing Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra. The teaser closes with chilling graffiti on a wall—“She is coming". The film is written by Dominic Arun, with additional screenplay contributions from Santhy Balachandran.
Kalyani Priyadarshan's portrayal of Chandra marks her first superhero role, for which she underwent martial arts training. The film revolves around Chandra's journey of discovering her hidden powers and battling dark forces to protect her world. The movie also stars Arun Kurian, Chandu Salim Kumar, Nishanth Sagar, Raghunath Paleri, Vijayaraghavan, Nithya Shri and Sarath Sabha.
The technical crew includes cinematographer Nimish Ravi, music composer Jakes Bejoy, editor Chaman Chacko, and action choreographer Yannick Ben. The film's production design is by National Award-winning Banglan. Jyoti Nooran of the Nooran Sisters is set to make her Malayalam debut with the film's first single.
"Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra" is expected to have a wide theatrical release across Kerala and select national markets during Onam. In addition to Malayalam, the film will also be released in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi dubbed versions. The film is expected to kickstart another cinematic universe for Malayalam cinema. Initial reports also suggest that Dulquer Salmaan and actor Tovino Thomas may have cameo appearances in the film.
