Dominic Arun’s ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’, with Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen, is a solid exercise in world-building

This is not your usual “superhero saves the world” story. Instead, amidst the action set pieces, we dive into what it means to be a superhero. And that makes ‘Lokah’ special. The rest of this review may contain spoilers.

“All legends have an element of truth”, says the text at the opening of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra. But more than truth, I liked that this legend is rooted in a very recognisable universe. You may be a supernatural creature, but you still need a passport to travel, and you still need the same kind of currency that mere humans do. You still need a place to stay, like a very middle-class flat, where the floors need to be mopped. You need to make money by working in, say, a bakery. And you have a viral illness that needs constant treatment. For all the fantasy in Dominic Arun’s richly imagined universe, it’s the vulnerability that stands out. And for all the superhero fun, especially with an excellent special guest star as a goblin, this is a film with a strain of sadness. You may be immortal, but what if you still carry around the pain of a lover who died more than a hundred years ago!

You can read the rest of the review here:

https://www.galattaplus.com/dominic-aruns-lokah-chapter-1-chandra-with-kalyani-priyadarshan-and-naslen-is-a-solid-exercise-in-world-building/

You can watch the trailer / video review here:

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