BOTTOM LINE
Female Lead Packs a Superhero Punch
RATING
3/5
PLATFORM
JioHotstar
What Is the Film About?
Kotha Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra, as the title suggests, is about Chandra (Kalyani Priyadarshan). The story begins when she comes to Bengaluru at the request of her master. There she meets Sunny (Naslen), a bachelor staying with his friends in the neighbourhood apartment. How there relationship develop? The movie’s basic story is the problems Sunny and his friends face due to Chandra’s hidden side to the world.
The locality where Chandra stays has mysterious kidnappings involving an organ trafficking mafia. There is a cop, Nachiyappa, in the mix who has his issues. Kotha Lokah’s overall story involves the intertwining of these worlds, leading to dire consequences for Sunny and his friends.
Performances
Kalyani Priyadarshan plays the titular part of Chandra. The actor doesn’t show much emotion for three-fourths of the movie, but it is as per the character’s requirement rather than a lack of it. She has more action during these parts, which are done well. During the final stages, both action and emotion are mixed, where she does the required job with ease.
More than the acting, what’s crucial to the proceedings here is bringing the believability to the part. A lot of that has to do with the action part, and Kalyani Priyadarshan does well in that key segment. It makes one take the character, thereby the narrative, seriously, which ultimately elevates the proceedings.
Naslen gets another role that is right in his zone. He is reliable as usual and brings the much-needed vulnerability to the character, making one care for it. What it does is help raise the stakes in the narrative, and that’s job done as far as the actor is considered.
Analysis
Dominic Arun directs, provides the story and screenplay for Kotta Lokah. It is a superhero origin film for what is touted to be a big Superhero Cinematic Universe in the coming years.
As is with any superhero movie, there has to be a mythic lore on which the narrative rests. When it comes to Kotha Lokah, it doesn’t dive into the lore immediately and takes time to get to it. The movie starts right in the middle of an action that one doesn’t know where it’s headed.
The opening sequences are therefore not to be missed, including the titles, where a lot is conveyed via the animation. One might not understand it immediately, but it is sure to catch the attention as we move forward.
The real story begins when Chandra comes to Bengaluru and joins a bakery as a disguise worker. Sunny (Naslen) is her neighbour and is immediately attracted to her beauty without having a clue about her reality.
The narrative, however, doesn’t completely focus on them. We have an organ mafia angle and another one involving a cop who brings jitters whenever he is on screen. The latter ultimately becomes the mainstay of the movie due to his tense and gripping moments.
Almost an hour is taken to establish the world where Chandra resides, which includes the basic plot and subplots. It is time-consuming, but as the whole thing offers something new and fresh, the lag doesn’t matter much as one is keenly waiting for the upcoming incidents.
The real punch arrives during the pre-interval and interval block, where the truth about Chandra is revealed. The impact wouldn’t be the same if not for the way the mythology is mixed with reality here. Right from the beginning and its connection with the present and the interval, one is on the edge of one’s seat, and looks forward to what happens next.
Post intermission, things stagnate a bit as the exposition related to the world and mythology takes precedence. Even the drama featuring the principal characters comes across as routine and predictable. However, the proceedings are engaging as the investigation angle is mixed neatly into the story, and it takes centre stage as the narrative progresses.
The grip in the narrative and sharpness in execution are never lost, and things continue to hold the attention with minor mythology-related twists.
However, the major difference between the first and the second half is the setting up of the space for the further chapters. In the second half, at times, the core story takes a backseat for the setup of things for the tale to take place in the upcoming parts.
We feel this the most during the sequences before the pre-climax, where multiple characters are fleetingly introduced. It leads to wild expectations, but none happen in reality. Only a branch of it is shown, which gives an impression of overstaying its welcome.
If one doesn’t mind and finds issues with the additional characters based on the created world (clearly a setup for the upcoming films), the climax gives a satisfactory feeling. The core story related to Chandra and Sunny is brought to a proper culmination, albeit a bit lengthy in nature.
Despite the engaging stuff, parts of the narrative do question the logic, even within the established setting. However, the fresh setting and gripping narrative (Nachiyappa track, for example) make the proceedings overcome such problems, comfortably.
Overall, Kotha Lokah, on the surface, gives a routine superhero movie vibe. But it doesn’t take time to break the expectations and come up with an engaging and gripping narrative where one is awestruck by how things are executed, featuring a female in the lead, and the budget associated with it. Don’t miss it if you like mythology-based superhero stories.
Performances by Others Actors
Kotha Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra has many actors in different lengths. Among the many, Sandy as Inspector Nachiyappa, also the antagonist, easily stands out. He brings an intensity to the character that helps give the narrative a gripping and tense feel. The actor brings that raw energy to the proceedings without going overboard anywhere.
Arun Kurian and Chandu Salimkumar, as friends, are also neatly cast. They bring fun and also drive emotion in key moments. Durga C Vinod as Young Chandra is impressive. She leaves a mark despite a short duration.
The rest of the cast have brief cameo appearances, among whom, Tovino Thomas is the most visible one lengthwise. He is fun, but goes overboard, and stands out in that regard as the rest of the narrative keeps a little grounded tone. Dulquer is fine in an action bit during the title credits.
Music and Other Departments?
Jakes Bejoy provides the music and the background score. The songs don’t particularly stand out, especially in their dubbed version. The background score, however, is excellent and elevates the proceedings and helps in registering the right emotions.
The cinematography by Nimish Ravi is brilliant. The neon-soaked streets of Bengaluru give it a wholly new vibe altogether. The frames give a gritty yet colourful feel that is distinct and makes it stand out among the crowd. The editing is neat, for the most part. The writing is fine, but the dubbing dialogues could have been better.
Despite being a superhero movie, the VFX here is limited. Whatever is seen is well done. More effort is put into creating the world rather than the showy visual effects.
Highlights?
Technical Work (Cinematography, And BGM)
Casting
Story
Drawbacks?
Take Time To Find Groove Initially
Rushed Cameos Towards The End
Gets Chaotic At Times
Did I Enjoy It?
Yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes
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Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra Review by M9
