Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra review- A thrilling and entertaining ride despite some hurdles
Rating: 3/5 Suyog Zore
In 2021, the Malayalam film industry pleasantly astonished Indian cine-goers with "Minnal Murali," arguably the most unusual and epic superhero action picture, which successfully combined genre conventions with genuine innovation. Since then, filmmakers have begun to explore this genre. Several superhero films have been released in recent years, including Maaveeran (2023), Veeran (2023), Hanu Man (2024), and Bagheera (2024). "Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra" is the latest addition to this list of 'superhero films'.
In contrast to many other superhero movies, Dominic Arun's 'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra' is neither about saving the planet from an extraterrestrial supervillain or fighting someone who wishes to destroy humanity. In fact, the film focusses on organ trafficking, the criminal underworld, criminals' ties with politicians and police, and even decades of dealing with loneliness, making it all the more realistic. However, in spite of its impressive production design and visual effects- especially given its limited budget, this superhero action thriller falls short of the most vital aspect of any film: an interesting plot and screenplay. For me, it felt more like a thrilling speeding train that lost track in the latter 40-45 minutes due to an underdeveloped plot.
The movie begins with a woman named Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshin) who has recently arrived in Bangalore from Sweden. Chandra gets a job at a bakery and rents a flat. However, she inexorably demands a night shift (the reason for which is revealed later). The flat of Sunny (Naslen), an unemployed but happy-go-lucky man, and his friends Venu (Chandu Salimkumar) and Naijil (Arun Kurian) is directly across from hers. All three friends are smitten by her beauty. As Sunny makes an effort to become friends with her, he quickly discovers that there is more going on here and that Chandra is undoubtedly trying to conceal something from him and everyone else. He learns that Chandra possesses superhuman abilities as he attempts to unearth the truth about what she is attempting to conceal from everyone. Since it would spoil the experience for those who will be watching this movie in theatres, I will not give away too much about the secret she has been keeping from the public. I can only tell you that she was blessed (or cursed) by a goddess.
Santhi Balachandran, the screenwriter, and Dominic Arun, the director, attempted to unravel the plot in unexpected and surprising ways in this superhero action saga, and it succeeded to some level in keeping us entertained and intrigued. Our curiosity about Chandra and the mystery she is attempting to keep hidden from everyone keeps us interested, but the film's weak plot somehow throws us off course, particularly when she discloses her true identity and how she acquired superpowers nearly halfway through. In the last 40-45 minutes, things begin to feel increasingly disorganised. It appears that the director was also undecided about whether to focus solely on Chandra's fight with corrupt police officials to save Sunny or to lay the groundwork for future superhero films in the franchise. This section of cameo appearances, in my opinion, might have been reduced to focus more on providing Sunny and his pals character depth. However, Venu and Naijil are only relegated to the stereotypical portrayals we have been witnessing in Indian cinema for many years.
There are also few scenes that don't make any sense. Although one doesn't expect a lot of logic in the plot because it's a superhero action movie, but this does not excuse the writer and director from committing a few conceptual errors. In one scene, for example, Sunny and his two friends are hiding in an abandoned building, but Nachiyappa's men track them down. However despite being in the same abandoned place, Venu and Naijil do not hear the many gunshots fired at Sunny. There are a few more such mishaps.
However, I appreciated how instead of creating a traditional antagonist with superpowers, the writer-director chose a conservative misogynist police inspector, Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy Master), as the primary antagonist who opposes women's independence. In one instance, he publicly humiliates a woman wearing a saree for just going out at night by herself. The portrayal of this nasty, sadistic police officer by Sandy Master has been outstanding and unwavering.
There are two notable cameo appearances in the film. Both cameo appearances by popular actors guarantee that 'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra' is only the beginning of a new superhero cinematic universe. But I didn't like how the first cameo appearance was introduced in the film. He also possesses unique superpowers and enters to save someone from the antagonist's peers. However, while attempting to save someone's life, he begins to use forced comedy, which completely destroys the tense atmosphere of that scene. Filmmakers must undoubtedly restrain their obsession to include forced humour in tense action scenes and suspenseful, nail-biting moments where the lives of the main character and other supporting characters are in jeopardy.
As a woman who is concealing her suffering behind the pretence of having a stoic demeanour, Kalyani Priyadarshan has undoubtedly given an exceptional performance. Additionally, Naslen does a fantastic job playing a young man who falls in love with a woman and has his life turned upside down when he learns about her superpowers. Nimish Ravi also deserves a lot of praise for his outstanding cinematography. The majority of the plot takes place at night, and Nimish Ravi does an excellent job of creating a dark atmosphere in night shots. Despite the fact that this is a superhero action film, the dark cinematography contributes to Chandra's sense of realism and immersion. Jakes Bejoy has also excelled at crafting a powerful and somewhat haunting background score. The original background music highlights Chandra's invisible connection to this world.
Contrary to what many people say, I don't believe 'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra' contains any really noteworthy or inventive action set pieces. Though the action set pieces are nice, the action choreography is not as imaginative as in films like Thallumaala (2023) and Minnal Murali.
Even with all of the film's shortcomings, 'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra' is, in my opinion, a good first step towards developing a superhero film franchise.
Cast: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen,
Sandy, Chandu Salim Kumar, Arun Kurian
Writer: Dominic Arun
Director: Dominic Arun
Also Read: Thudarum review: Mohanlal's outstanding performance elevates this decent revenge thriller
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