Bollywood filmmaker Sanjay Gupta has added his voice to the growing wave of admiration for Dominic Arun’s Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday, the director of Kaante, Shootout at Lokhandwala and Kaabil urged his followers to head to cinemas, calling the Malayalam superhero drama the “best Indian film in the last few years.” He also shared a string of stills from the film, underlining his enthusiasm.
Sanjay’s endorsement comes as Lokah continues to break new ground at the Kerala box office. Released on Thursday for Onam, the film has become a full-blown cultural event in Kerala and beyond. By its fourth day in theatres, screenings began as early as 6 am to accommodate surging demand, a first for Malayalam cinema. More than 300 screens across the state have reported back-to-back house-full shows, while dubbed versions in Telugu and Tamil are also pulling in sizeable crowds.
Produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra marks the opening chapter of what is billed as the Wayfarer Cinematic Universe. The fantasy adventure weaves superhero tropes with elements of mythology and science fiction. Kalyani Priyadarshan leads the cast as Chandra, a mysterious young woman who has recently moved to Bengaluru after two decades in Sweden. Naslen plays Sunny, one of two boys fascinated by her nocturnal lifestyle, alongside Chandu Salimkumar as Venu.
Both critics and audiences have applauded its world-building and organic approach to the superhero genre, with many arguing it outshines recent big-budget spectacles like Brahmastra and Kalki 2898 AD.
