Ever since its release on August 28, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra has been making waves at the box office. Despite a modest promotional campaign, the film turned into a sleeper hit driven by strong word-of-mouth. In just eight days, it collected ₹52 crore across India.
The film, initially released in Malayalam and Telugu with limited Tamil shows, has now expanded to Hindi, widening its reach.
Priyanka Chopra’s shoutout
Actor Priyanka Chopra took to Instagram to hail Lokah, calling it “India’s first female superhero film.” Sharing the film’s poster, she wrote:
“India’s first female superhero is here. Congratulations Dulquer Salmaan and the entire team of Lokah. This story has already been winning hearts in Malayalam, and now it’s out in Hindi too. P.S. Added it to my watchlist already! Have you?”
Producer Dulquer Salmaan reshared the post, thanking her: “OMG! Thank you! This support means the world to our whole team of Lokah!”
Earlier, Alia Bhatt had also praised the film for its “fresh blend of mythic folklore and mystery.”
Box office & reach
- Originally released with 647 shows, the film’s demand boosted its run to 1,382 shows in Malayalam and over 597 in Telugu.
- In Hindi, it received around 92 shows nationwide.
- The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan, alongside Sandy, Arun Kurian, and Naslen (Premalu fame).
Reception & controversies
Lokah is now the third-highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2025, after Prithviraj Sukumaran’s L2: Empuraan and Mohanlal’s Thudaram.
However, it faced backlash over a dialogue perceived as demeaning to women, especially from Karnataka, and for allegedly portraying Hindus negatively. Following protests, Wayfarer Films, Dulquer’s banner, issued an apology and removed the dialogue.
