Kalyani Priyadarshan has revealed that she battled serious self-doubt while stepping into her titular role in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, the fantasy blockbuster that continues to dominate the box office. Speaking to film critic Anupama Chopra in a recent interview for The Hollywood Reporter India, the actor admitted that the character felt so far removed from her natural instincts that she worried about whether she could pull it off.
“Everything felt so unnatural to me that I even called Dulquer and told him, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing,’” Kalyani recalled. The actor plays Chandra, a character described by director Dominic Arun as emotionally numb and weighed down by centuries of existence. To embody her stillness, Kalyani had to unlearn her own expressive, energetic mannerisms. “I talk with my hands, I blink ten times in a conversation. Dominic told me, ‘I don’t want any of that. You are playing someone hundreds of years old. You need to move that way,’” she said.
It was Dulquer Salmaan, producer of Lokah under his Wayfarer Films banner, who helped her overcome her doubts. “He asked me if I was happy with everything else on set and if Dominic’s calls felt right. When I said yes, he told me, ‘Then trust him, he’s right about you as well.’ That was when I completely surrendered to Dominic,” she said.
Dulquer also recalled that he spoke to Arun and cinematographer Nimsh at the time, suggesting they allow Kalyani space to ease into the role by balancing takes between her instincts and the director’s vision.
The effort appears to have paid off. Kalyani’s portrayal has been praised as one of the film’s strongest elements, with Dominic himself noting he was highly specific about her performance compared to the freedom he gave other actors.
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was released on August 28 for Onam and has already grossed over ₹250 crore worldwide, making it only the second Malayalam film after Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan to cross the milestone. Reimagining a beloved Kerala folklore through a superhero lens, the film serves as the opening chapter of a planned five-part cinematic universe.