Thani Lokah Murakkari: Santhy Balachandran Unpacks The Layers Of Parari Muhsin’s Feminist Anthem
The newly released anthem Thani Lokah Murakkari from the movie Lokah Chapter: 1 Chandra has already started conversations far beyond the world of music, and now, dramaturg and co-writer of the movie Santhy Balachandran has offered an insider’s look into how the song was conceived and created.
In a detailed social media post, Santhy shared the concept note that evolved into the track, giving fans a glimpse of the debates, myths, and histories that shaped its lyrics and message.
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At the heart of the concept was the metaphor of the crossroads, a place of potential, possibility, and choice. This image became a launchpad for lyricists to weave a narrative that acknowledged intersectionality and diversity of lived experiences, while highlighting the shared, universal struggles of womanhood across cultures.
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The note spoke of how societies often pedestalise women into submission, with deification becoming a subtle form of suppression. Female power, across myths and religions, has been painted as volatile, irrational, and in need of control. Female sexuality has been treated as either generative or destructive, but rarely neutral or accepted on its own terms.
Examples of these social constructs were drawn from diverse traditions:
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Hinduism: purity vs. pollution, sacred vs. profane, Manusmriti codes.
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Christianity: the Madonna–Whore complex, Eve as the archetypal temptress.
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Islam: the framing of women as “Mothers of the Ummah.”
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Greek myths: Pandora as the bringer of chaos, Medusa punished for rage born of violation.
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West African legends: Mami Wata as a figure of dangerous, unchecked desire.
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Japanese folklore: Kitsune, the shapeshifting seductress.
Santhy Balachandran explained that while some figures defy these binaries, most traditions have confined women within limiting archetypes — either saint or sinner, goddess or demon. The anthem was designed to question and resist these cages.
Importantly, the concept also sought to expand the definition of womanhood beyond cis identities, with nods to trans figures like Mohini and Bahuchara Mata in Hindu mythology. Lines about “bodies that shift and change” were imagined as ways to acknowledge gender fluidity and inclusivity.
From this foundation, the anthem took form. Thani Lokah Murakkari was penned by Muhsin Parari, with a rap verse by Reble, and composed by Jakes Bejoy.
Read Also: Meet Santhy Balachandran: The Woman Behind Malayalam Cinema’s First Female Superhero In Lokah
The vocals, delivered with raw power by Jyoti Nooran and Reble, carry the intensity of its message. The promo video, directed by Lokah’s director Dominic Arun, shot by Nimish Ravi, and edited with AI visuals by Ajmal Haneef, adds another layer of striking visual storytelling.
For Santhy, the creative journey itself was unforgettable, full of debates, late-night recordings, setbacks, and moments of jugaad that have now become part of her “core memories from Lokah.”
More than a song, Thani Lokah Murakkari has emerged as a feminist anthem that reclaims women’s humanity from centuries of myths and binaries, resonating with anyone who has felt the burden of being confined to roles of submission, purity, or sacrifice.
