Kalyani Priyadarshan’s 'Lokah' Storms Past ₹200 Crore, Becomes Fourth Highest-Grossing Malayalam Film Of All Time
The Dominic Arun-directed fantasy epic is seeing a record-breaking run, trailing only 'Empuraan', 'Manjummel Boys' and 'Thudarum'.
Kalyani Priyadarshan’s fantasy spectacle Lokah Chapter One: Chandra has smashed through the ₹200 crore barrier at the global box office, cementing its place as one of the most successful Malayalam films of all time. On its 13th day in theatres, the film became the fourth Malayalam feature to achieve this milestone, and the second fastest after Mohanlal’s L2: Empuraan.
Produced by Dulquer Salmaan under his Wayfarer Films banner, Lokah now ranks as the fourth highest-grossing Malayalam film worldwide. It sits behind Thudarum (₹235 crore), Manjummel Boys (₹241 crore) and the chart-topper Empuraan (₹265 crore). Within India, the film’s momentum has been equally striking: by day 12, it had collected ₹64 crore from Kerala and another ₹38 crore from the rest of the country, contributing to a domestic total that swiftly entered the coveted ₹100 crore club.
Released on August 28 to coincide with the Onam festival, Lokah has been positioned as the opening chapter of a five-part cinematic universe. Written and directed by Dominic Arun, with dramaturgy and additional screenplay contributions from actor Santhy Balachandran, the film reimagines a strand of Kerala’s folklore through the lens of modern fantasy and superhero storytelling.
Priyadarshan leads the ensemble as Chandra, joined by Naslen in a pivotal role. The cast also includes Chandu Salimkumar, Arun Kurian, Sharafudheen, Nishant Sagar and Vijayaraghavan, with Tamil actor-choreographer Sandy playing the central antagonist. Adding to the film’s intrigue, it was recently confirmed on Mammootty’s birthday that the veteran star had appeared as Moothon, a mysterious character set to feature prominently in upcoming instalments of the franchise.
With its blend of mythology, spectacle and star power, Lokah has struck a chord with audiences across Kerala, the rest of India and overseas territories. Having crossed the ₹200 crore mark in less than two weeks, industry analysts believe the film’s theatrical run still has significant ground to cover, with the possibility of challenging Thudarum and Manjummel Boys on the all-time list.