Lokah director Dominic Arun on creating India's first female superhero

The fangs are out. Once again, Malayalam cinema has proved that it can push the envelope and experiment with genres and out-of-the box stories and rake in the big bucks at the same time.

The latest offering from Malayalam cinema that is creating ripples across the country and making the Indian film industry sit up is Lokah: Chapter 1 Chandra. Starring Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead role of Chandra, a woman with super powers who is tied to her mysterious centuries-old destiny, the fantasy film is part of a five-part series.

The Federal catches up with the director Dominic Arun to discuss the success of the film, the role of Kerala folklore, the feminist overtones, Dulquer Salmaan's support in the risk-taking venture, and what's next for the Lokah universe.

Edited excerpts:

How are you reacting to the film's massive reception, and what do you attribute it to?

We never expected something like this to happen. As filmmakers and producers, we definitely wanted the film to do well, but the kind of response we are getting from across India and abroad is overwhelming. Everyone is in a different state of mind right now, trying to process what’s happening. I think the freshness of the film—the look, feel, and narrative—played a big role.

But, the real clincher is the backstory which taps into Kerala folklore and that part seems to connect deeply with people.

Can you elaborate on the Kerala folklore angle?

In Kerala, we have grown up hearing these old stories, many of which are compiled in a book called Aithihyamala. It is a collection of folklore stories and features characters like Yakshis and Kuttichathan (goblin like beings). Initially, I wanted to make a film about a vampire in the city. Usually, such characters are shown in rural settings, and fall in the horror genre but I wanted to place a vampire in a city—where it’s easier for them to get lost in the crowd and remain unidentified.

Also read | 'Lokah' rewrites superhero script with vampire rebel from Kerala folklore

While developing the backstory, I needed a name for the central character, and the iconic folklore figure Neeli came to mind. She’s a vengeful vampire and people in Kerala are well acquainted with her. Using that name instantly created a connection with audiences. That’s when we realised we could expand this into a larger world and bring in other folklore characters as well. And, make them exist among us.

This is where I believe we cracked it. It's at this point in the theatres we noticed the audience getting excited as they recognise this character. That's what worked really well for us.

Will this be a game-changer for Malayalam cinema?

It might open doors for filmmakers to try bolder ideas. We were lucky to have a producer like Dulquer Salmaan who supported this experimental concept while packaging it commercially. There was a huge risk involved, but he pushed us to make it bigger and different. Malayalam cinema is known for taking creative risks, and this film continues that tradition.

Kalyani Priyadarshan plays the lead. How crucial was her casting?

Extremely crucial. Initially, we considered other options, but as the script evolved, Kalyani emerged as the perfect choice. Dulquer suggested her as well. She has the looks, style, and attitude to pull it off, along with an athletic frame that made the action sequences convincing. Without that, the character wouldn’t have worked.

Ultimately, in the end the role felt tailor-made for Kalyani. No one else could have played it.

The film also carries a strong feminist undercurrent. Was that intentional?

Absolutely. Since this is a female-centric film, I wanted the narrative to have a strong feminist voice. But as a man, I felt I couldn’t fully capture that perspective. After writing the first draft of the film, I realised I could not pull it off. I just cannot think from a woman's perspective. After all, I'm a male. So, whatever I do, it may not land properly. That’s why I brought in Santhy Balachandran as co-writer.

We had worked on a couple of other screenplays before Lokah but none of them have become films as yet. We have a good working equation and frankly whatever you see in the film that has a strong feminist angle is from Santhy. She shaped many crucial scenes.

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For instance, in folklore, Neeli is subdued by a male priest, Kadamattathu Kathanar. Santhy insisted we change it—so in our version, she is guided by her dying mother on how to use her supernatural powers. Her mother gives her a code of conduct which she follows.

It is not a man then who changes her. There's another scene in the film between Chandra and Sunny (played by Nasen) post-interval. She asks him, why were you following me? To which, he replies that he was trying to save her. She replies mockingly, "Me, really?" (considering she is the one with the superpowers) That scene is to underscore that women don't need saving. It's no longer the damsel in distress, it's the man who needs saving. These touches gave the film its feminist edge.

What challenges did you face while making the film?

The scale was much bigger than my first film, which was made on a very small budget. With Lokah, the responsibility was higher—this was a big-budget female-led film, this was on my mind all the time. But we had no major issues while making the film since we had two years of prep. Most things were planned well, with only minor adjustments that we had to make during shooting. We filmed 20–25 days in Bengaluru and shot the other portions on sets in Kochi.

What kind of cinema do you want to do?

I’ve always been a huge fan of director Priyadarshan. Growing up in the ’90s, his films shaped my childhood and inspired me to become a filmmaker. I think he's my biggest motivation to be a filmmaker. Later, I was influenced by Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie, and Edgar Wright. I want to make films I personally enjoy watching rather than second-guessing what audiences want.

The budget for Lokah is just Rs 30 crores. Did you use AI in this project?

We didn’t use AI in the film itself—everything is VFX and practical effects. But during prep, we used AI to visualise locations and concepts, which helped communicate ideas to different departments. Personally, I’m not a fan of AI in filmmaking. I prefer practical methods wherever possible, as they feel more authentic.

This is planned as a five-part franchise. Will Chandra's character continue to appear in the other films?

Yes, Chandra will be a recurring character across the series. In fact, she plays a major role in the overall arc. In the next part, Tovino Thomas will also take centrestage as a folklore-based character, Kuttichathan.

Also read | Why Malayalam films are working big time with pan-India audiences

He also resembles the character of Loki from Norse mythology (who belongs to the Marvel Cinematic Universe). They all have similar traits. I mean, we haven't actually taken anything from Loki, but I think their characters have similar traits.

I've been doing a lot of research on folklore from every part of the world and there are similarities. Dulquer’s role is inspired by another folklore figure, Odiyan. We haven't explicitly said that in the film but a lot of people already cracked it. These characters will form an interconnected universe. We have an idea of how the entire story is going to play out and how it will end. But what follows next is that we will start writing the screenplay of Chapter 2.

So, it will take us a year to start shooting the next film. Shooting will probably start at the end of 2026.

Why does Chandra's character take a backseat for a while in Lokah Chapter 1 as Dulquer and Tovino Thomas are introduced in the second half?

Actually, when I made the film, it ends with the clinic scene. But a producer gave me a valuable tip, he told me that if you want to build this as a bigger world, you should bring one more character from the folklore who should come appear in the second half of the film. He said that will be a hook for audiences. I thought that was a very interesting idea. And, I thought the best folklore character to pick was Kuttichathan and the best person to do it was Tovino. So, that's how he came into the picture.

Since he's a fun character I thought it will help to ease a little bit of the tension and then I could go back to the Chandra track.

Will the five part series end with Mammootty's character, Moothan?

Yes, that's not decided as yet. That will be worked out as the screenplay progresses, he may appear in the third part as well. But it is my dream to direct Mammootty. He's one of our biggest stars and one of the best actors our country has ever produced.

How involved was Dulquer Salmaan as producer?

Dulquer is an ambitious producer who genuinely cares about cinema. He's not looking to just produce films with him as the lead actor. He's actually trying to produce films with good content even if he doesn't have to act in it.

It was absolutely fun working with him because he was so involved. He was deeply involved in the creative process, reading each draft and ensuring everyone was satisfied before we went into production.

What about a Hindi version or a Bollywood collaboration?

No, I have not been approached yet. Honestly, I prefer working in my native language, as it creates a stronger connection with audiences. The dubbed Hindi version hasn’t done as well as others, but it’s picking up in Mumbai now, according to my producer. I got a call from a happy producer last night saying that it's picking up in Hindi as well. Initially, it did not do well since there were three or four other releases along with Lokah in Mumbai.

How will you sum up this entire experience?

For me, the entire process was fulfilling. After my first film in 2017, this was a big comeback, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative effort of the team. From DOP Nimish Ravi to editor Sreejith Sarang, co-writer Shanthi, composer Jakes Bejoy, sound designer Don Vincent, the production design and VFX teams—everyone treated it as their own film. That collective passion and love are what audiences are responding to.

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