When it comes to fantasy action films, comparisons with foreign films, particularly those from Hollywood, are inevitable. However, the key lies in unlocking the nativity factor, so that it can sync with the target audience on a bigger scale. This genre reeks of ambition but apart from a high-budget, you also need a competent director who can be a good storyteller and visualiser to ensure that the genre code is cracked to the 'T'.
Approximately 30 minutes into Lokah and you get a vibe of the world that director Dominic Arun is trying to create. There is an intrigue in the proceedings and while there formulaic tropes of the genre in between, his novel ambition is undeniable. Set in Bengaluru, Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan) is a mysterious woman with unconventional habits and interesting acquaintances. She has just moved into a new flat that looks and feels like a spooky loner's den. In the building that faces her apartment, there is Sunny (Naslen) who stays with his friends Nigel (Arun Kurian) and Venu (Chandu Salim Kumar).
Needless to say, Sunny has a crush on Chandra as soon as he sees her from his balcony. Soon, he tries to find ways to mingle with her. However, Sunny soon realises that Chandra isn't your random girl-next-door (girl-next-building maybe?) and is a pandora's box of secrets. Meanwhile, Bengaluru city is suffocating with crimes of an alleged organ trade gang that has the invisible support of Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda (Sandy Master). In what can be termed as a butterfly effect, their paths coincide and in turn, we get to learn about people and powers that the normal world has only seen or heard in fables.
So, what is Chandra's purpose of moving to Bengaluru? Why does she prefer to get out only at night and stay at home all through the day? There are a lot more questions like these and to get the answers, you need to watch Lokah.
First things first, Lokah is a supremely well-made film and has laudable production quality. The visuals are of the highest quality and the color grading is on point. Arun takes the familiar route in storytelling to ensure that the audience is in loop with his vision. Nimish Ravi's cinematography is top-notch and while some of the film's frames have inspiration from multiple foreign films of this genre, there is a novelty in its presentation. Chaman Chakko's editing ensures that the film moves along at a steady pace without any noticeable lags.
The screenplay, co-written by Arun and Santhy Balachandran, does have its share of bumps in the first half. The mood shifts between Chandra's intrigue and the fun around Sunny's gang, but the latter appears to be a speed-breaker for a while. However, towards the pre-interval, the film starts to move into top gear with a terrific interval block. That momentum is maintained thereafter and a solid second half ensures that the film succeeds in its intent. Kalyani is terrific as Chandra, both in terms of her body language and in the action set-pieces. The character is a drastic makeover from the bubbly feminine characters that she has played thus far but there doesn't seem to be any uneasiness in her portrayal.
It is her performance that is the backbone of the film and to be fair, nobody else has a meaty part either. Naslen has the next best role in terms of screen time but his character arc is half-baked at best. However, his comic timing ensures that these mundane sequences don't bore you. Chandu Salim Kumar shows a lot of promise although the humour portions in the film don't really have the potential of creating a laugh riot. But then, Lokah isn't supposed to be a rib-tickling comedy either, so you could perhaps excuse Arun who doesn't seem that comfortable in writing the comic sequences.
However, when the film shifts to its main mood, he gets his cards right and it also helps that the film boasts of a neat cast. Sandy Master as the notorious cop is a treat to watch and then, there are a host of special appearances and cameos that do their bit in uplifting the film's value. While the special appearances are aplenty, there is also a close-up shot of a person's hands, which if you notice clearly, will give you a massive hint for the future installments. Coming to the cameos, there are three of them, of which two are certain to bring the roof down in cinema halls. Clearly, this is a cinematic universe being built and we are going to see more installments of this franchise
The seeds of that are sown by Arun towards the latter half of the film with multiple character revelations. What works for Lokah the most is the fact that it doesn't pretend to be something that it is not. Arun has tried to keep things rooted to realism, even with the inevitable fiction around the premise and crucial flashback portion is arguably one of the best-written portions of the film. Jakes Bejoy, who is going through a purple patch, elevates the film's fortunes with his terrific soundtracks and background score. That Lokah was a big-budget film was known to all pre-release but the good part is that the lavishness is visible in the output as well. The action set-pieces are of high quality and have been executed efficiently.
On the whole, Lokah is a well-made fantasy action film that is worth a watch due to its technical supremacy, interesting narrative and appreciable performances led by a confident Kalyani.
Film: Lokah Chapter One - Chandra
Director: Dominic Arun
Cast: Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen, Chandu Salim Kumar, Sandy Master, Arun Kurian
Rating: 3.5/5