Lokah Beats Mohanlal’s Starrer to Become Industry Hit

Malayalam cinema has been growing big in recent years. Movies like 2018, Manjummel Boys and Thudarum proved that Malayalam films can make massive box office numbers and attract large audiences across the world. Each time a record was set, another film soon came forward to break it.

Now, Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra has created a new history. The film, which released on August 28, is directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films. Made on a budget of around ₹30 crore, the movie has crossed ₹265 crore at the worldwide box office. With this, it has beaten Mohanlal’s Empuraan to become the all-time biggest hit in Malayalam cinema.

Empuraan had earlier collected ₹265 crore and became the industry hit despite mixed reviews. Before that, Manjummel Boys was holding the record. Now, Lokah is expected to cross ₹100 crore in Kerala alone and may soon break the regional record of Thudarum, which stands at ₹119 crore.

The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the lead role, with Naslen and Chandu Salimkumar in key roles. Tamil choreographer Sandy plays the villain, while Dulquer Salmaan and Tovino Thomas appear in cameos. Lokah is the first film in a planned five-part franchise and also introduces Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero.

What makes this success even bigger is that Lokah is a female-centric movie. It is now one of the highest-grossing film led by a female character in Indian cinema. This shows that audiences are always open to new stories and that women led films can also set the biggest of industry records.