‘Lokah Chapter 1’ box office shocks Bollywood as Kalyani Priyadarshan beats ‘Coolie’ and ‘War 2’ with UK screen surge

Highlights:

• Lokah Chapter 1 has beaten big titles like Hrithik Roshan’s War 2 and Rajinikanth’s Coolie.
• The Malayalam superhero film opened strongly and showed 40% growth on day two.
• Fans have hailed it as better than big-budget spectacles like Kalki 2898 AD and Brahmastra.
• Produced by Dulquer Salmaan, it marks the start of the Wayfarer Cinematic Universe.

The Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1 has taken the box office by storm, with its opening weekend figures outpacing Bollywood and Tamil heavyweights. The superhero drama, directed by Dominic Arun, combines mythology, fantasy and science fiction, and has quickly found both commercial success and critical praise. Early numbers suggest that Lokah Chapter 1 box office earnings have already eclipsed Hrithik Roshan and Jr NTR’s War 2 and Rajinikanth’s Coolie, while sparking comparisons with Kalki 2898 AD and Brahmastra.

Kalyani Priyadarshan as Chandra in Lokah Chapter 1, Mollywood’s first female superheroInstagram/lokahofficial

How much did Lokah Chapter 1 earn at the box office?

According to early trade reports, Lokah Chapter 1 opened with collections of £250,000 (₹2.7 crore) on Thursday. By Friday, the film saw a 40% jump, collecting £345,000 (₹3.75 crore). This put it ahead of both War 2, which managed just £60,000 (₹65 lakh]) on the same day, and Rajinikanth’s Coolie, which brought in £160,000 (₹1.75 crore).

Even Mohanlal’s Hridayapoorvam could not keep pace, standing at £250,000 (₹2.7 crore). The only film to surpass Lokah that weekend was Param Sundari, a Bollywood release that grossed over £645,000 (₹7 crore) with a wider distribution.

Why are fans praising Lokah Chapter 1 ?

Audiences have praised the film’s unique use of folklore in a modern setting, with many pointing out that its execution was stronger than recent mega-productions. Social media reactions have called it “Avengers meets The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with a Bangalore energy.”

Kalyani Priyadarshan, who plays the central role of Chandra, has particularly impressed viewers with her action sequences and commanding screen presence. One fan wrote online: “Everything that could’ve gone wrong in a low-budget superhero film went right here. This is how you build a cinematic universe.”

What makes Lokah Chapter 1 significant for Malayalam cinema?

Lokah Chapter 1 marks the first female-led superhero film in Mollywood. Kalyani’s Chandra, a mysterious figure in gothic style who moves to Bangalore, is at the heart of the narrative. Her dynamic with two directionless bachelors, Sunny and Venu, forms a key storyline, with her supernatural presence driving the suspense.

The film also launches the Wayfarer Cinematic Universe, produced by Dulquer Salmaan’s Wayfarer Films. This ambitious project could be a shift in Malayalam cinema towards bigger, franchise-style filmmaking, while still retaining its cultural roots.

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Will Lokah Chapter 1 cross ₹15 crore in its first weekend?

Industry experts suggest that word-of-mouth could push the film’s opening weekend collection beyond £1.4 million (₹15 crore). By Saturday, worldwide collections were reported at around £1.1 million (₹12 crore), bringing the total tally close to £1.65 million (₹18 crore).

Significantly, the UK and Ireland have turned into one of Lokah Chapter 1’s strongest overseas markets. Following brisk advance sales, exhibitors expanded screen counts from around 100 to nearly 150 within the first two days. Trade figures show the film grossed about £40,728 (₹43 lakh) on day one in the UK, a striking start for a Malayalam release. The response underlines the film’s dominance over other South Asian titles in release and signals wider international pull for Kalyani Priyadarshan’s breakout hit.

Cast and crew details

The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan alongside Naslen, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Raghunath Paleri, Vijayaraghavan, Sarath Sabha and Nithya Shri. Directed by Dominic Arun, it was released on 28 August.

Lokah Chapter 1 box office collections surpassed Rajinikanth’s Coolie and Hrithik Roshan’s War 2Instagram/lokahofficial

Kalyani admitted in an interview that she initially questioned whether she was right for the part. “I thought, ‘Why have they come to me for this?’ But I could not resist the opportunity to play such a layered character,” she said.