Lokah Chapter One: Chandra Review - Worthy Theatrical Experience!

Ashwin Ram

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is a superhero actioner starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen and Sandy in the lead roles. The film is directed by debutant Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan.

Premise:

Kalyani Priyadarshan rents a house and Naslen happens to be living in the opposite apartment. Their paths cross and when they just start to get along, Naslen figures out that Kalyani Priyadarshan is a superhuman. How her powers decide the fate of their lives form the remaining story.

Writing/ Direction:

Though the one-liner follows the template of a superhero origin story, the situations served are fresh. The storyworld is superbly set, the Bangalore nativity is perfectly approached with cool locations and by placing characters from multiple language backdrops. Naslen portions bring in the commercial value, the scenes involving him with his friends are rollicking fun, by the time it starts to get a little repetitive, the subject shifts to its next stage. The director is well aware of what he is doing, when to reveal the backstory, when to place cameos, etc. Sometimes silence speaks louder than words, likewise the hush amidst Kalyani Priyadarshan helps the audience invest in her character, hence interval revelation clicks right after we consume her flashback. There is no urge in the storytelling, the screenplay does not lose much steam even when it dips because the focus is always there. There are some dry spots in the second half, yet the vampire element balanced with mythology keeps it going. A stronger villain character with more dynamic qualities would have made a significant difference, Sandy portrays a crooked and a commanding cop even before he turns ‘One Among Them’. Action blocks galore towards the end and overly stretched too which gives a tiring feel. Star-stubbed cameos elevate the community watch, while some cameos are organically incorporated for the flow, a couple are brought just for a tease of how the universe can shape out in the future. However, inaugurating the franchise with a women-centric flick is a welcoming and peculiar decision.

Performances:

Kalyani Priyadarshan is a great choice and she proves it by carrying the character on her shoulders with immense conviction, things are also favourable for her as she doesn’t have to emote much. Naslen is so lively on-screen and he effortlessly brings in the jovial act, his role is sure to instantly connect with the viewers. Sandy has played his part damn seriously, shines in his Malayalam debut with full-fledged screen time in a big canvas, but his character could have had deeper layers in writing. Star value comes into place towards the finish line and offers loud cheers among the fans. Keeping certain cameos aside, for whom we’ll have to wait to know what is their part in this franchise. No clue why Anna Ben was casted in the movie and what she was actually doing here.

Technicalities:

Peppy music that sets the mood and no separate songs to disturb the flow. Jakes Bejoy’s techno musical approach aptly fits in the shoes of the subject. Top class cinematography, the look and feel is fascinating that gives a whole new perspective to the film, the John Wick style neon colour tone gives a super rich tone. Neatly edited in most parts, there are a few lags in the later half, yet the cuts are sharp. Stunt choreography is slick and stylish, even the lengthy blocks hold because of the finesse in the way action is executed. Good VFX work as well, absolutely no complaints.

Bottomline

A stylishly made actioner with amazing technical aspects and has sufficient substance. The ample amount of humour holds it tight till the interval, the action setpieces and star-stubbed cameos hide the speed-breakers in the later half.

Rating - 3/ 5