Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra – Is It Great?

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025) movie steps into the secret world of India’s first Super-Heroine, Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan), and her fellow Super-Heroes. Notably, this Indian film describes Chandra as the eternal and timeless Yakshini. In India, Yakshini is a class of female nature spirit, goddess, or benevolent entity.

Lokah (ലോകഃ) is a Malayalam word which is very similar to Loka (लोकाः), the Hindi word. And both of them mean “The World” in English. So, the fantasy movie explores the ancient as well as the modern worlds of Yakshini Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan). Also, the Yakshi Kalliyankattu Neeli is mentioned in this fiction.

Wow, Chandra Is India’s First Home-Grown Super-Heroine!

Please note that folk songs of Kerala, Villaticchan songs, and the folk tales of Travancore feature the wicked spirit (Yakshi), Yakshi Kalliyankattu Neeli.
Neeli is also present in Marthandavarma, a historical novel by CV Raman Pillai.

Is It A Good Film? Oh yes. This Malayalam Movie Depicts A Fascinating Tale About India's First Super-Heroine, Who Lives A Life Of A Commoner But...

Spoiler Free Review | Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025) Movie

The synopsis

A young woman discovers supernatural abilities while facing personal challenges. As evil emerges, she must accept her powers and destiny in a transforming world. Her journey launches a new superhero saga.

Let us meet India’s First Superheroine Chandra

This Malayalam language movie, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, is the first Superheroine film from Kerala, India. And to tap into the pan-India box-office market, this movie has also been dubbed in different languages of India, viz., Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. These are indeed a good sign for the Malayalam movie industry. They keep churning out one entertaining movie after another. No doubt, this action-packed Superheroine movie is no different. Like the protagonist of the Superman (2025) movie, the Superheroine of this Indian movie also lead her life as a commoner. However, the key difference is that Chandra has indigenous Indian roots. She is not from another planet.

In India, the Australian stuntwoman Mary Ann Evans, famously known as Fearless Nadia, played the first on-screen superhero, the female character from the 1935 film Hunterwali. She portrayed a princess who secretly became a masked vigilante to combat crime. Although not a typical superhero by contemporary standards, Hunterwali is viewed as the originator of India's superhero genre. However, it must be pointed out that the Hunterwali did not possess any supernatural abilities, unlike the Chandra of this Malayalam movie. So, Chandra could be considered the first homegrown Superheroine of the Indian cinema world.  

Also, there is a fair amount of comedy in this action-adventure movie. The funny scenes add another entertaining flavour to the film. And, we certainly loved it. And the special effects scenes are quite good, too. In a way, it is a perfect masala movie. That not only entertains, but also sheds light on the rich folklore.

Its smart script borrows heavily from the Kerala’s mythological folktales

To create the character of the protagonist in the Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra film, the scriptwriters looked at India’s mythology. So, writers Dominic Arun and Santhy Balachandran draw inspiration from Kerala’s traditional tales. Therefore, Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) is also mentioned as Yakshini Neeli in it.

In the folklore of India, Yakshinis are supernatural entities that have a deep connection to nature, especially forests and natural water sources. In the context of Indian religious mythologies, they are characterised as female nature spirits or celestial nymphs, often associated with fertility, wealth, and the Earth's concealed treasures. They can be kind beings who fulfil wishes when honoured, but they also possess a more malevolent or dangerous aspect, similar to certain Churail (Witches). The legends of Yakshinis are present in the folklore of different regions, including Kerala.

However, their unfair depiction of Bangalore city and comments on its denizens in this movie drew a lot of criticism. And its team did well to apologise for their transgressions. Anyways, despite some of the mistakes, the script is fascinating. In this adventurous movie, the Superheroine Chandra is portrayed as a famous, eternal character from the distant (historical) past. We even learn about her origin as the Yakini in the ancient era. Now, in the present day and age, she moves back to stay safe and incognito in Bangalore city. The proverbial Silicon Valley of Asia. But then the villains and the bad people of the city hunt her, unknowingly.

Kalyani Priyadarshan portrays the Superheroine Chandra superbly

So, what will the Superheroine Chandra do? Obviously, she will fight back against the bunch of evil and powerful villains with all her might. It is for the first time, we have seen the performance of Kalyani Priyadarshan in a movie, and she is quite impressive. She seemed at ease and natural in emotional as well as high-octane fight sequence scenes. Kalyani performs very well, like a Superheroine in the Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra film. She is well supported by Naslen (Sunny), who plays her love interest in it. We had seen the actor Naslen in the Premalu (2024) Movie a couple of years ago. And once again, Naslen performs well in the so-called rom-com scenes in this action flick.

The conclusion, but it is only the beginning for Lokah

Among the mob of villains, Sandy Master shines bright. However, he plays the author-backed role of Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda. Lest we forget, the buddy-chemistry of Chandu Salim Kumar (Venu), Arun Kurian (Naijil) and Naslen (Sunny) is hilarious to watch. Both Chandu and Arun are flatmates of Sunny in it. And they all play the bumbling young characters quite well. And please note the title, it is the first chapter. So, the film has he open-ended ending. It clearly suggests that we are going to many more chapters. Furthermore, besides Chandra, Charlie and others, we might see a few more Superheroines and Superheroes in future. Now, let us wait and watch out for Chapter 2, with great hope and anticipation.

We enjoyed this Malayalam movie, as it was a great and wonderful watch. So, what will be the next adventure for this ambitious Superheroine movie?

FM Rating

Poster

Key Details

Trailer & Synopsis | Official

Also, check out the Lokah - Promo Video Song 4K | Thani Lokah Murakkaari | Jakes Bejoy | Jyoti Nooran | Reble | MuRi on YouTube.

The Poster and the Featured Image of the Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025) Movie are credited to Wayfarer Films & Dulquer Salmaan.