Kalyani Priyadarshan's superhero film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan, has become the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time. As of September 23, 2025, the film has grossed an estimated ₹279.88 crore worldwide.

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was released on August 28, 2025, and received generally positive reviews from critics. The film stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the titular role as Chandra, a mysterious woman who arrives in Bengaluru and gets entangled with a gang involved in organ trafficking. It also features Naslen in the male lead role, along with Sandy Master, Arun Kurian, and Chandu Salim Kumar in supporting roles.

The film opened to ₹2.71 crore in Kerala and ₹6.66 crore worldwide. Within its first four-day weekend, it collected ₹65 crore worldwide and crossed the ₹100 crore mark within seven days. According to Sacnilk, the film earned ₹4 crore on its fourth Sunday, bringing the total India collection to ₹137.75 crore. On its 26th day, the film earned ₹1.25 crore, taking the total net collection in India to ₹139.10 crore.

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was made on a budget of ₹30 crore. With net collections at ₹139.10 crore in 26 days, the return on investment (ROI) is 363.6%, making it the most profitable Malayalam film of the year.

The film has also been dubbed and released in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada. The Malayalam version leads with ₹106.90 crore, with significant contributions from the Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi versions.

Critics have praised the film for its visual effects, world-building, cinematography, production design, and soundtrack. Athira M of The Hindu noted that Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra handles the superhero genre with expertise and praised Kalyani Priyadarshan's performance as the "first female superhero of Malayalam cinema". Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave the film 4/5 stars, highlighting the writing as impeccable and praising the film for extending its magnificence beyond visual brilliance. Vishal Menon from The Hollywood Reporter India stated that Lokah successfully creates a female superhero movie without requiring a male savior.

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra is part of a planned five-part series. The second installment will feature Tovino Thomas.