Beyond the cape: Chandra in ‘Lokah’ introduces a new era of female power in Indian cinema

When you think of superheroes in Indian cinema, it’s usually men in capes or armour, saving the world with brute strength. But 'Lokah - Chapter One Chandra' does something very different. It gives us Chandra, Malayalam cinema’s first female superhero, and it does so without turning her into a stereotype.

Played by Kalyani Priyadarshan, Chandra isn’t just powerful; she’s also layered, at times unsure, kind, and firmly grounded in her own sense of purpose. What makes her character even more interesting is that it was co-written by actor, theatre artist, and writer Santhy Balachandran. There’s something that shifts when a woman writes a woman. The way strength is portrayed, the way vulnerability isn’t treated as weakness, and the way the character exists not in spite of her femininity, but because of it.

The film takes the well-known folklore of Kalliyankattu Neeli and drops her into a modern city, Bengaluru. But this isn’t a haunting tale. Neeli becomes Chandra, a superhero with supernatural powers, walking the streets in a black leather jacket, flaming red hair, and a sharp nose ring. She doesn’t 'blend in'. She owns the space she moves through, and she’s clearly not here to follow anyone else’s rules.

Independence versus male intervention
Chandra is clearly written as an independent and capable character who does not rely on a male counterpart for validation, direction, or rescue. But what is particularly nuanced about her character is that she does not exist in a world where men automatically respect women’s strength. She lives in a world where men still assume they should be the protectors, but Chandra's actions consistently dismantle that assumption.

Characters like Sunny (Naslen), Venu (Salim Kumar), and Nigel (Arun Kurian) repeatedly try to woo or help her, thinking they are the heroes of the story. However, from Chandra’s perspective, these men are more like oblivious children, unaware of the larger forces at play or her own vast powers.

A key scene illustrates this dynamic well. When Sunny sees Chandra being kidnapped and rushes to her rescue, she has already neutralised her captors by the time he arrives. When he tells her he came to save her, she coyly replies, "To save me?" exposing the irony of the situation with calm sarcasm rather than drama. Later, when Sunny discovers her supernatural identity, Chandra tells him point-blank, "The only being you should be scared of is me." She knows her power and never doubts it.

Not a vigilante but never passive
Chandra is not written as a conventional superhero out to save the world. Instead, she only intervenes when something wrong happens directly in front of her, but when she does, her actions are impactful. She is more reactive than proactive but never passive. She also comes across as an introvert, someone quietly seeking connection and care, yet she never lets that desire turn into a weakness. Her emotional needs never undermine her strength.

Help received, but not as feminine weakness
While there are a couple of scenes where male characters assist Chandra, the framing is very clear. She is never saved by a man in the traditional sense. For example, when antagonist Nachiappa (played by Sandy) drags her into the sunlight to burn her, she screams in pain, a rare moment of visible vulnerability. Sunny steps in and fires at Nachiappa, but crucially, he does not rescue her. His action serves only as a distraction, giving Chandra time to recover and take control again. In another scene, when Chandra is critically injured by a bullet, Chaathan (Tovino Thomas) revives her. However, the moment is not framed as a heroic male act. Chandra does not look at him as her saviour; in fact, she seems mildly irritated by his behaviour, though she clearly cares for him.

The contrast with traditional folklore is also important. In the original tale, Kathanar, a male priest, captures Neeli to save the villagers. In Lokah, this dynamic is completely rewritten. Kathanar is reimagined not as a controller or captor but as Neeli’s ally, a man with knowledge, not power over her.

Interestingly, Chandra’s moral compass comes not from a male guide but from her mother, who tells her to do good and help people.It's a refreshing reversal. A female character guided by her own self-realisation and shaped by the influence of another woman, not by male validation. While she does receive help in certain high-stakes situations, it is never framed as a consequence of feminine weakness. Instead, these moments are portrayed as neutral, situational responses that could happen to anyone, regardless of gender.

The film strikes a thoughtful balance. It does not isolate Chandra in a fantasy world where sexism does not exist, but it also does not let that sexism define her. She moves through a patriarchal world with quiet defiance, never allowing it to diminish her strength. 'Lokah' is, in that sense, not just a superhero film; it is a subtle but strong statement about female autonomy, perspective, and power.