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.

 Who Is Santhy Balachandran? Before the headlines celebrated her as co-writer of Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Santhy Balachandran had already carved a niche in cinema with unconventional performances. She debuted in Dominic Arun’s 2017 black comedy Tharangam alongside Tovino Thomas and became the only female presence in Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Jallikkattu. Her Hindi debut came with Gulmohar (2023), where she shared screen space with legends like Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee.