Dulquer Salmaan calls out male gaze in cinema, praises Lokah for authentic female perspective

Dulquer Salmaan celebrates the massive success of Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra at an event in Hyderabad on Thursday. The Malayalam superhero film, directed by Dominic Arun and produced under Dulquer’s Wayfarer Films, recently crosses the Rs. 100 crores mark at the global box office, becoming a major talking point across the country.

 

Dulquer Salmaan calls out male gaze in cinema, praises Lokah for authentic female perspective

 

Starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, Naslen, and Sandy, Lokah emerged as the highest-grossing South Indian female-led film to date, surpassing previous hits led by Anushka Shetty, Keerthy Suresh, and Nayanthara.

 

At the success meet, Dulquer addressed long-standing criticism about how mainstream cinema often caters to the male gaze. Acknowledging this issue, he credits the film’s screenwriter, actor Santhy Balachandran, for bringing an authentic woman’s voice to the story. “Santhy, thank you for giving us a woman’s voice in this film,” he said. “We’re often told our films are written and shot through the male gaze. I don’t even want to use the word ‘female’ here… If there’s a woman superhero or superstar today, and we’ve represented her right, all the credit goes to Santhy B.”

 

Dulquer also reflects on the scale of the film’s success, admitting it was unlike anything he had experienced in his career so far. “We’re still trying to process what’s happening. For us, Lokah always felt like a very intimate film it almost came across like a big-budget indie. We had to bring Jakes Bejoy in to make it more commercial,” he explained. “I’ve acted in over 40 films, but I’ve never experienced this level of reception as a lead actor. Thank you to all the audiences for accepting Lokah.”

 

Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra marks the beginning of a planned superhero series. The story follows Chandra, a mysterious woman summoned back to India by her leader, Moothon (voiced by Mammootty). Kalyani Priyadarshan led the cast as Chandra, with Naslen playing Sunny, her love interest and neighbor, and Sandy portraying the antagonist, Inspector Nachiyappa.

 

With critical acclaim and strong box office numbers, Lokah not only redefines superhero cinema in Malayalam but also set a new benchmark for female-led films in Indian cinema.

 

Also Read: Dulquer Salmaan drops teaser of first female led Malayalam superhero film Lokah: Chapter One – Chandra starring Kalyani Priyadarshan on his birthday

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