'Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra', On JioHotstar, Film Once Sparked Controversy And Producers Apologised

The Malayalam fantasy thriller film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, starring Kalyani Priyadarshan, has taken the box office by storm. Within days, it turned out to be the biggest Malayalam hit of 2025. Dulquer Salmaan's film has been winning hearts online. But amid its roaring success, do you know, the film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra once faced major backlash for allegedly portraying Bengaluru in a negative light. Read on to know more details about it. 

Viewers in Karnataka had criticised the film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

Soon after Dulquer Salmaan's film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra began trending on social media, some viewers from Karnataka criticised the makers for showing Bengaluru city and its women in a negative light. The controversy focused on a dialogue by 'Inspector Nachiyappa Gowda' who used the word 'characterless' towards a woman from Bengaluru. Reportedly, some users also felt that the film showed the city as a hub for parties and drugs. 

Within no time, this became a major controversy in September 2025, and activist, Rupesh Rajanna demanded an apology and removal of the offensive scenes. The matter even reached Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Seemant Kumar Singh who said that that the Central Crime Branch will look into this matter. Later, Wayfarer Films issued a public apology over the same controversy and shared:

"It has come to our attention that a dialogue delivered by the one of the characters in our film Lokah Chapter One has unintentionally hurt the sentiments of people from Karnataka. At wayfarer films, we place people above everything else. We deeply regret this oversight and assure you that no offence was intended. The dialogue in question will be removed/edited at the earliest. We sincerely apologise for the hurt caused and humbly request you to accept our apology."

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is out on JioHotstar

After a blockbuster theatrical run, the film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is all set to be released on the OTT platform, JioHotstar. Recently, the official Instagram page of JioHotstar confirmed that the film will be out on October 31, 2025, in multiple languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi. 

More about the film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra follows 'Chandra' (played by Kalyani Priyadarshan), a woman from Kerala who moves to Bengaluru for a fresh start. But soon, she becomes entangled in mysterious events and begins to feel changes within and around her. Eventually, 'Chandra' discovers that she’s connected to 'Kalliyankattu Neeli', a powerful spirit from Kerala’s folklore. While 'Chandra' struggles to understand and accept her supernatural identity, her journey becomes tougher when she encounters 'Nachiyappa'. Towards the end of the film, the makers of the film hinted that its universe could expand. The closing line of the film mentioned that if any sort of anomaly happens, then ‘Chandra’ would return. 

Have you watched the film, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra? Let us know your reviews of the film.

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