United News of Bangladesh

The highly talked-about ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’ has quickly turned heads across the industry. Since its release on August 28, 2025, the female-led South Indian spectacle has sparked waves of discussion. The superhero film is currently the third-highest-grossing Malayalam movie of the year. The premiere hasn’t even stayed confined to Kerala either. It’s already out in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada, which reflects just how determined the makers are to pitch this story to a wider audience. Let’s dive into how its story, cast, visuals, and spotlight come together on screen. About Chandra and the Rise of a Superhero Cinematic Universe Bankrolled by Dulquer Salmaan through his own studio, Wayfarer Films, the movie comes from director Dominic Arun. Designed as the opening entry in the Wayfarer Cinematic Universe, it introduces Mollywood’s first structured attempt at a superhero franchise. Kalyani Priyadarshan takes on the central role of Chandra, laying the foundation for what is intended to be a multi-chapter saga. The lineup feels thoughtfully mixed; there’s Naslen, Arun Kurian, Sandy, Chandu Salimkumar, Raghunath Paleri, Nishanth Sagar, Sarath Sabha, Nithya Shri, and Vijayaraghavan holding the ground. Then viewers have got those fleeting but eye-catching appearances from Dulquer Salmaan, Tovino Thomas, and Sunny Wayne. And, of course, Mammootty’s voice in the narration adds that unmistakable gravitas. Read more: Wednesday Season 2 Part 2: Jenna Ortega Fronts Netflix's Star-Studded Mayhem Defining Superhero Milestone in Mollywood The film distinguishes itself from other large-scale fantasy ventures not with sheer size but with its command over visual language. The pre-interval block is where the film flexes its muscles. Yannick Ben’s stunt direction lands with a kind of sharpness that feels deliberate, every move thought through, nothing tossed in just to dazzle. The camera, guided by Nimish Ravi, keeps pace with that rhythm. At times it stretches wide, letting audiences take in the sweep of the moment, and then suddenly it’s right up close. It catches the smaller beats that stop the action from floating off into spectacle. Meanwhile, Jakes Bejoy’s score threads the whole thing together. He swings between hard-driving, heart-racing bursts and quieter passages that almost sit in the background but keep the tension alive. It feels at home in the superhero world, sure, but it doesn’t just imitate the usual formulas; it carves out a tone that feels distinctly its own. Optimal Sync of Visual Spectacles with Screenplay At its heart, the story follows a young woman who stumbles upon extraordinary powers while still caught in the messiness of her own personal battles. As a dark force rises, she is pushed toward embracing both her power and her fate. Read more: Top 10 Korean Dramas Releasing in September 2025 Dominic Arun does more than just direct here; he also lays down the spine of the story, sharing writing duties with Santhy Balachandran. What they’ve built is not just spectacle but a layered world, folding in immortals, folklore, and present-day anxieties. That mix gives the fantasy a sense of weight, something rooted rather than drifting. At times of surfacing cameos of major stars, they feel stretched, yet they remain tied to the story without completely distracting from Chandra’s arc. Their presence is also designed to feed into later installments, which makes early judgement difficult. What stands out is the writing of supporting characters, handled with restraint and dignity. The filmmaking and editing never feel careless. Lighting, cuts, and pacing follow the mood of the scene rather than any formula, so the rhythm feels organic. There’s richness in the textures, but it never tips into indulgence. Visual polish stays in service of the story, not the other way around. The balance between spectacle and storytelling holds steady. Read more: September 2025 South Indian Movies: 12 Biggest Releases