September 22, 2025

Dominic Arun’s superhero hit Lokah: Chapter 1—Chandra is making waves, and not just for its thrilling story! Produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films, the movie stars Kalyani Priyadarshan and Naslen with special cameos from stars like Tovino Thomas and Mammootty’s voice. What’s truly exciting? The film’s smart and sparkling production quality that dazzles from start to finish. In an interview with Cinema Express, production designer Banglan didn't hold back his spicy criticism of other film industries. He said, “In other industries, 80 per cent of the budget often goes into actors’ salaries. Here, more is spent on making, and every penny spent is visible in the frames.” According to him, Dulquer trusted the creative team fully and supported their vision without sweating the budget. Banglan added, “If money is spent, it has to be visible in the frame. From beginning to end, the audience can see that quality in Lokah.” His voice drives home an important point: stunning sets and strong filmmaking matter more than just who’s on screen. The budget for Lokah is around ₹30 crore—a huge deal for Malayalam cinema but again, handled with care and purpose. At the film’s success meet in Hyderabad, Dulquer said, “In Malayalam cinema, the budget of Lokah is the same as King of Kotha and Kurup. For us, that is a big budget. And even then, not a single rupee was spent unnecessarily.” Just for comparison, King of Kotha had a ₹50 crore budget and Kurup ₹35 crore. Lokah: Chapter 1—Chandra is just the beginning. It kicks off a planned five-part franchise. The next film will star Tovino Thomas as Chathan, a goblin, turning up the excitement even more. With a mix of smart budgeting, imaginative worldbuilding, and star power, Lokah proves Malayalam films can be grand without waste. Are other industries ready to learn this spicy lesson? Fans certainly hope so!

Read More at Hindustantimes →

Tags: Lokah chapter 1, Dominic arun, Dulquer salmaan, Malayalam cinema, Movie budget, Production design,