Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra – Original Superhero Tale Or Hollywood-Inspired Supernatural Flick? Here’s What We Think!
Can we consider Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra an original female-led superhero film, or is it another supernatural film inspired by Hollywood? Read our take!
Can We View Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra As An OG Superhero Film? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is successfully running in theatres. Even before its release, the film was heavily promoted as Mollywood’s first female superhero movie. However, there is a catch to the marketing! Such a strategy was necessary before the release because the makers wanted to keep the film’s central theme a secret. However, social media influencers, members of the film fraternity, and general viewers still view it as a superhero film.
When you look at it objectively, it is neither a superhero film nor one with an entirely original idea. The movie is inspired by international cinema, especially Hollywood. While many social media posts claim otherwise, the film certainly blends elements of domestic supernatural creatures with those from abroad, creating a cocktail.
Why Can’t We Consider Chandra A Superhero Or Superheroine?
Besides the obvious fact that she is not wearing a cape or a costume, what makes this film not a superhero film is that a superhero is someone who fights for the greater good, not for personal vendetta. For example, in the original Spider-Man, Peter helps people without selfish motives or personal grudges against the antagonist. He understands that “with great power comes great responsibility,” a lesson shaped by his uncle’s death. Similar traits can be observed in almost every superhero film, including Mollywood’s Minnal Murali, where the protagonist realizes his mistakes and ultimately acts for the greater good.
However, in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, the protagonist does not actively try to help strangers. She only gets involved when her colleague is being harassed, and that too when it is certain her life is in mortal danger or at risk of severe disfigurement from an acid attack. Even regarding the organ mafia, she was not trying to dismantle the mafia or challenge the corrupt police system. Instead, they came after her and the people she cared about. It was purely a personal matter. She protected them, and as a result, members of the mafia were killed. When she was kidnapped, she killed them in self-defence.
None of this fits the classic superhero/superheroine mold. Calling someone with superpowers unwilling to help the common man a superhero or even a hero is absurd. She does not care if another organ mafia replaces the one she destroyed. So, is she a superheroine? Clearly, no.
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra Is Not An Entirely Original Film
In a popular YouTube video, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has been dubbed a completely original reimagining of indigenous supernatural creatures, and it has been said that, unlike Minnal Murali, it is not inspired by any Hollywood film. But that is not true. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is clearly inspired by several Hollywood films.
Let us start with how Chandra obtained her vampire powers. The film does not draw from domestic mythology but instead relies on the clichéd trope of a bat bite leading to a viral infection. This origin story for vampires has been used in countless Hollywood films. A prime example is the Underworld franchise, often seen as the poster child of female-led supernatural action films, where the vampire species originates from plague-infected bats biting an immortal, creating the first vampire.
Similarly, in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, a normal child is bitten by a bat and becomes a vampire, who later in life is known as Kalliyankattu Neeli. However, this does not make the origin story original. It could have felt more authentic if it had been rooted in domestic mythology. Other examples of bat-caused vampirism include Daybreakers (2009), Morbius (2022), and many more. In this case, the name Kalliyankattu Neeli is the only factor linking this character to the domestic mythology of Kerala.
Another borrowed element is the trope of killing a vampire by staking the heart, one of the most overused ideas in vampire films and series. The scene in Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, where Kadamattathu Kathanar stakes Chandra and she is later revived when the stake is removed, is clearly inspired by The Vampire Diaries and its spin-off, The Originals. The original vampires can be revived in that universe if a normal wooden stake is removed, while only white oak can permanently kill them.
So, it is clear that Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra draws inspiration from Hollywood. This is not a bad thing, but it is important to acknowledge that there are outside influences, just like in Minnal Murali. It is to be noted that this opinion is not a personal attack on the creator of the video mentioned above; we are simply pointing out facts that debunk its claims.
