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Netizens Counter Right-Wing Criticism Of ‘Lokah’: Point To Priyadarshan’s Role As Janam TV Chairman

Many netizens reminded critics that Kalyani Priyadarshan’s father, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, is the honorary chairman of Janam TV — a channel closely aligned with the BJP and right-wing groups.

Lokah Chapter 1 Chandra Written by
Netizens Counter Right-Wing Criticism Of ‘Lokah’: Point To Priyadarshan’s Role As Janam TV Chairman

Lokah Row: Netizens Counter Right-Wing Claims, Point Out Priyadarshan’s Janam TV Role Amid Hinduphobia Allegations

Kalyani Priyadarshan’s superhero film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra has turned out to be one of the biggest Malayalam hits of the year. Directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Wayfarer Films, the movie has been performing strongly at the box office and is inching towards the ₹50 crore club.

But while the film’s collections continue to rise, it has also landed in the middle of a heated political and cultural debate.

Soon after its release, right-wing groups accused Lokah Chapter 1 of being “anti-religious.” The criticism centres around a sequence in the film that portrays caste-based discrimination at a temple, where upper-caste Hindus prevent lower-caste communities from entering the premises. Right-wing groups allege that such scenes malign Hindu traditions and present the religion in a negative light.

Read Also: Why You Can’t Leave Before The End-Credit Scene In Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra

Several Hindu right-wing groups and influencers have slammed the film, calling it “anti-Hindu” and “anti-religious.” They claim that the movie shows a Hindu king burning down a temple, portrays Christian missionaries as saviours, makes the lead actress react with a “disgusting expression” on seeing a Vinayaka idol, and depicts a Hindu villain killing his own mother in front of pictures of Hindu gods.

According to these critics, such scenes deliberately present Hindus in a negative light while glorifying other religions, and therefore promote “Hinduphobia” in Malayalam cinema.

Adding fuel to the fire, the film also faced backlash over a dialogue referencing Bengaluru women. Critics claimed the line was derogatory and amounted to “slut-shaming.” The makers quickly issued a statement apologising for any unintended hurt and promised to remove or edit the dialogue.

Read Also: Meet Santhy Balachandran: The Woman Behind Malayalam Cinema’s First Female Superhero In Lokah

However, social media users have quickly countered these claims, pointing out that the outrage seems politically motivated rather than fact-based.

Many netizens reminded critics that Kalyani Priyadarshan’s father, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan, is the honorary chairman of Janam TV — a channel closely aligned with the BJP and right-wing groups.


This fact has been widely circulated as a rebuttal: if Lokah was truly part of an “anti-Hindu conspiracy,” why would the daughter of Janam TV’s chairman be its lead actress?

Many netizens argued that the right-wing ecosystem was attacking the film without proper research, simply because it touched upon sensitive historical realities like caste-based discrimination in temples.

Some users went further, mocking the outrage by asking whether right-wing groups would be satisfied only if the film had shown a Muslim villain burning temples or killing Hindus.

However, despite these allegations, Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra continues to win audiences at the box office, marching towards the ₹50 crore mark within its first week.

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