Dulquer Salmaan had nothing but praise for actor-writer Santhy Balachandran at the Hyderabad success meet of Kalyani Priyadarshan's Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (released in Telugu as Kotha Lokah). Speaking on Wednesday, the actor-producer said the additional screenplay writer-dramaturgist's contribution was key to shaping the film’s female perspective.

“Santhy, thank you for giving us a woman’s voice on this film. We are always told that we write and approach our cinema with a male gaze. And I think if there’s a lady superhero, a lady superstar today, and we represented her correctly, all credit goes to Santhy,” Dulquer said, earning loud applause from the audience.

Santhy responded a day later with a heartfelt Instagram story. “I’m so grateful to have worked with a team that saw value in a perspective that comes from lived experience and my academic training. Thank you for this moment of acknowledgement, @dqsalmaan — my dad shared this clip saying you are a true gentleman, and I couldn’t agree more.”

The exchange has been winning hearts online, adding to the celebratory mood around Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, which recently stormed past the Rs 100 crore mark within its first week. Also starring Naslen in the lead, the fantasy spectacle is the first instalment in a planned five-part franchise inspired by Kerala’s folklore and retold with contemporary sensibilities. The cast also features Chandu Salimkumar and Arun Kurian in key supporting roles, with Tamil actor-choreographer Sandy as the antagonist.