Women in Entertainment 2026 | Santhy Balachandran Delivers Her First-Ever Thank You Speech for 'Lokah': 'Santhy In Wonderland!'
The actor-writer gave a moving speech overtook with joy, thanking each and every person who worked on the film 'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra'
Actor-turned-writer Santhy Balachandran, who rose to fame with Dominic Arun’s 2025 super-hit Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra where she was credited for additional screenplay and dramaturgy, was awarded the Changemaker of the Year award at the second edition of The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment in partnership with De Beers gala, held on March 25 in Mumbai.
Balachandran took to the stage overwhelmed with joy and lost for words, as she gave her first-ever thank you speech. She reminisced of always having had a vivid imagination, “At the age of six, when my mother found me in a huge bucket, I told her I’m Alice going down a rabbit hole in Wonderland,” she shared, noting that it was only with the team of Lokah that she finally found a tribe to create a world out of her imagination.
She also thanked writer-director Dominic Arun, calling him her long time collaborator, best friend, mentor and tormentor, “Nine years into our association I continue to be inspired by your fearless choices,” she said. She also acknowledged the DOP of the film Nimish Ravi, the producers Dulquer Salman and Jom Verghese who chose to open the franchise with a female hero, the “wunderkind” editor Chaman Chakko and music composer Jakes Bejoy.
Speaking of the cast and crew of Lokah, she spoke of Kalyani Priyadarshan, who according to her, “embodied the iconic Kalliyankattu Neeli with such grace” and supporting actors Naslen, Chandu Kumar and Arun Kurian. She acknowledged that her male collaborators who leverage their privilege to further her creative journey have been true allies.
Balachandran thanked all the people who came together for the project and to drive change and defy conventions that led to the film making box office history and ended her speech by saying, “Tonight, looking at this room, at the dazzling talent present here, women I’ve long admired, women I’ve looked up to, women who’ve paved the way for those that come after I can truly say Santhy is in wonderland.”