Lokah Chapter 1 creates history as it crosses ₹300 crore at box office, Kalyani Priyadarshan is ‘beyond grateful'

Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1, starring Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen, received wide acclaim and went on to break records at the box office.

Updated on: Oct 13, 2025, 22:38:04 IST

By Santanu Das

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra, the Malayalam superhero film starring Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead, has emerged as a bona fide blockbuster. The Dominic Arun directorial was released in theatres on August 28, and opened to thunderous reviews and slowly set the box office on fire. It has now become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, crossing the ₹300 crore mark worldwide.

Lokah Chapter 1 stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead role, heralding her as a female superhero.

Kalyani pens note on Lokah success

The makers released a special poster of the film on Instagram and tagged Kalyani, and producer Dulquer Salmaan in the post. ‘300 crore GBOC’ was written in huge letters on the poster. Kalyani took to her Instagram Stories and wrote in the caption, “Everyone who stood behind, beside and in front of the camera, and everyone who filled the theatres… We made history. Beyond grateful.”

Lokah is the first Malayalam film to cross this milestone. It has beaten Prithviraj Sukumaran’s L2 Empuraan’s ₹265.5 crore lifetime haul, Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi’s Manjummel Boys with its ₹240 crore collection and Mohanlal and Prakash Varma’s Thudarum with its ₹234.5 crore haul.

Lokah marks the debut of Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero with Kalyani starring as Chandra, a powerful, mythology-inspired heroine navigating a modern world imbued with folklore and fantasy elements. Lokah is directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan under Wayfarer Films.

About Lokah

It tells the story of the mysterious Chandra/Neeli (Kalyani), a yakshi/vampire who finds herself in trouble when she faces off an egotistic and misogynistic policeman named Nachiyappa (Sandy). The film also stars Naslen, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Raghunath Paleri, Vijayaraghavan, Nithya Shri and Sarath Sabha. Dulquer Salmaan, Tovino Thomas, Anna Ben, Soubin, Santhy Balachandran and Mammootty have cameo roles in it. A few days after release, tha makers announced Lokah Chapter 2. It will be headlined by Tovino, who plays a chathan/goblin named Michael. Dulquer, who plays an odiyan/ninja named Charlie, might also be a part of it.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

Box Office

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. - Click Here!

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.