Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra Review

The 2014 Dracula film, Dracula Untold, starring Luke Evans, had this climax where we see Dracula living among the human beings in the present day. Back when I saw that film, even though the movie was a middling experience, this last-minute twist in the tale felt like an interesting way of using a classic fictional character. The idea of Dominic Arun’s Lokah reminded me of this Dracula film because of what they are doing in this movie, and possibly in the upcoming films in this universe, is a reimagination of the characters we have heard about through these folklores. While the first half is somewhat dry and some of the action blocks in those areas have unimpressive visual effects, there is a high point towards the end of the film, largely due to the way they have pitched the concept to the audience.

In present-day Bangalore, a girl named Chandra arrives, and her local support asks her to maintain a low profile. Her apartment was right opposite the flat of two bachelors named Sunny and Venu. Sunny, who had a crush on Chandra, decides to follow her, and what we see in Lokah are the discoveries of Sunny about the mysterious identity of Chandra.

Like I said, the idea of Lokah, where they sort of reimagine some of the folklore characters from a different perspective to create a superhero universe of our own, feels fascinating. Even though the format is pretty much inspired by the ongoing MCU, it felt like genuine imagination. In many ways, it was this Gaganachari-like crazy thought of why can’t we make our childhood folklore characters cool and funky. If you look at the first movie of Dominic Arun, the treatment of it was like a mix of Wes Anderson, Guy Ritchie, and our own Priyadarshan. The wackiness was always there in his movie sensibilities. But this time, he is focusing more on world-building over eccentricities.

If you look at a movie like Gaganachari, which was set in a dystopian future, the most impressive thing for me about that movie was how they sort of managed to deliver a visual spectacle by using available budget-friendly sources. The challenge in front of Dominic Arun and the team in Lokah is pulling off a concept that has this origin Story feel, and managing the burden of being a superhero film. If you look at the way the shots are planned and some of the action sequences are designed, they are trying to create the illusion of something grand through stuff like cinematography, edits, and even practical effects. Even though those efforts are genuine, one can really see these limitations very easily. For instance, the moments in the first half of the movie where we see the superhero side of Chandra feel extremely basic. It was almost like the shoddy VFX of how Mohanlal’s character was lifted upwards in Barroz.

I think they sort of reserved the VFX budget for the second half of the movie, where we have cameos (spoilers ahead) featuring important names. The very first set piece featuring Tovino’s character looked solid, and it was extremely funny as well. The second half of the movie is almost like a different movie, where we have a beginning, conflict, and resolution. The first half is pretty much like an extended intro scene of Chandra. Nimish Ravi is following various styles visually to give a different identity to the visuals. The flat ratio movie starts with this neon-light-heavy futuristic look, as a larger chunk of the film is set at night. Then we have these warm tones for flashback portions and some other characters. Maybe because of the lack of finesse in the footage, Chaman Chakko struggles to add zest to the action blocks featuring Kalyani. The background score in certain areas has that familiarity, and it almost feels like the go-to style when it comes to a superhero film.

Chandra is a character who carries the heft of an eventful life she has lived, and in terms of emotions, Kalyani Priyadarshan is able to portray the stubbornness of that character, and Singer Sayanora’s dubbing for her is definitely adding a layer of maturity to the performance. She has the swagger when it comes to depicting action, but somewhere, much like Antony, the editor is fighting for her. Naslen is in his safe zone of playing this underconfident, jobless young guy. But as always, he knows how to crack the character without necessarily overdoing it. Chandu Salim Kumar gives him solid support here as his roommate, and in the first half of the movie, it is the banter comedy of these folks, including Arun Kurian, that keeps the film in that lively space. Sandy, as the main antagonist of the movie, was really good. Even though it was a violent character, Dominic is not pushing that character to do really animated stuff. Out of the cameos in the movie, it was Tovino Thomas who really made an impression. His dialogue delivery was the coolest among the entire cast, and the film really shifts gears after the entry of that character.

Lokah is not perfect. It has the budget limitations that are making certain moments in the film slightly underwhelming. However, the thought of creating a superhero league using the less explored characters from our own culture and literature, with a tweaked interpretation, seems fascinating. I hope the second movie in this universe will happen with the support of a sufficient budget.