Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 4/5 stars, noting that "What makes the Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen-starrer far better than other massive-budget fantasy spectacles is that its magnificence extends beyond visual brilliance to include impeccable writing".Read at source
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra 2025 
Synopsis
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is a 2025 Indian Malayalam-language superhero fantasy horror film written and directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan for Wayfarer Films. It stars Kalyani Priyadarshan (in the title role) and Naslen, with Sandy, Chandu Salim Kumar and Arun Kurian in other significant roles and a cameo from Tovino Thomas and a vocal of Mammooty. In the film, Chandra, a mysterious woman, comes to Bengaluru to fight the evil.
- Director
- Dominic Arun
- Studio
- —
- Run time
- 151 min
- Language
- Malayalam
Reviews
6 Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.
Critics' consensus
Generally Positive
Critics' aggregate for Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is 75/100 from 4 scored critic/publication reviews.
Synthesized by AI (gpt-5-codex-omdb-enricher) from 7 source-backed reviews — verify against the linked sources.Common praise
- writing
- pacing
- music
- visual craft
Positive 6
Athira M of The Hindu noted that Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra handles the superhero genre with expertise, praising its "catchy" cinematic quality, visual effects, production design, and background score.Read at source
Manjusha Radhakrishnan of Gulf News rated 4/5 and wrote, "Superhero saga done right blending Indian folklore with Hollywood swagger."Read at source
Roopa Radhakrishnan of The Times of India gave the film 3.5/5 stars and noted that while Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra has its flaws, such as a slow start, overstretched feeling of cameos, and some jokes that don't land, its positives outweigh the negatives.Read at source
Ajith of Onmanorama praised Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra for its "bold" visual design and "immersive" world-building, noting its unique blend of Kerala folklore and the modern-day superhero genre.Read at source
Vivek Santhosh of The New Indian Express gave the film 3.5/5 stars, terming it "A bold, imperfect but unforgettable step into Malayalam cinema's first mythic universe, where Kalyani Priyadarshan's Chandra embodies folklore, fire, and neon spectacle in a world still finding its full shape".Read at source
Media & trailers
Verified video records attached to this title.
Details
Soundtrack
- Thani Lokah Murakkaari Jyothi Nooran, Reble
- Shoka Mookam Benny Dayal, Pranavam Sasi, J'mymah
- Queen of the Night Zeba Tommy
- Neeye Punchiri (One Side Love) Hanan Shaah, Reyan
- Paranje Paranje Anuradha Sriram
Technical specs
- Run time
- 151 min
- Language
- Malayalam
- Country
- IN
- Director
- Dominic Arun
Trivia
- The film was produced by Dulquer Salmaan for Wayfarer Films and written and directed by Dominic Arun.
- Principal photography lasted 94 days, commencing on 12 September 2024 under the working title Production No: 7.
- The movie features a cameo from Tovino Thomas and a vocal performance by Mammooty.
- Nimish Ravi served as the cinematographer, Chaman Chakko as the editor, and Jakes Bejoy as the music director.
- Actress Santhy Balachandran is credited with contributing to the additional screenplay for the film.
- Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra became the highest-grossing Malayalam film ever, surpassing Empuraan and crossing the ₹300 crore mark globally.
