Whereas female-led movies have began to enter the ₹100 crore membership in Hindi cinema during the last decade, the identical has not been true for the 4 southern industries. Over the past 10 years, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema have made big leaps when it comes to field workplace collections. However these have largely been on the again of mass motion movies headlined by male superstars. It is just this 12 months {that a} South Indian movie led by a feminine star has lastly crossed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide. And it has been achieved by somebody not historically thought-about a star.
South India’s highest-grossing female-led movie
Malayalam superhero movie, Lokah Chapter 1, has emerged as one of many largest success tales in Indian cinema in 2025. After simply seven days within the theatres, the movie has earned ₹46 crore internet ( ₹53.50 crore gross) within the home market, together with $6 million ( ₹52 crore gross) abroad. This has taken its worldwide haul to ₹105.50 crore. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra stars Kalyani Priyadarshan within the titular position, making the movie the highest-grossing female-led movie produced in any of the 4 south movie industries (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam).
Lokah Chapter 1 has damaged the file set by Keerthy Suresh’s Nationwide Award-winning Mahanati, which earned ₹85 crore. The following three spots within the prime 5 all belong to Anushka Shetty – Rudhramdevi ( ₹84 crore), Arundhati ( ₹70 crore), Bhaagamathie ( ₹67 crore).
How Kalyani Priyadarshan beat superstars
Whereas Tamil and Telugu cinema have seen a number of feminine superstars like Anushka Shetty, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ramya Krishnan, and Nayanthara, none of them managed to take a movie led by them to the ₹100-crore mark. Samantha’s Oh Child managed ₹40 crore, whereas Nayanthara’s Imaikkaa Nodigal grossed ₹35 crore. Anushka Shetty’s Rudhramdevi and Arundhati would most likely earn over ₹150 crore every if adjusted for inflation, however unadjusted, they too, fail to cross ₹100 crore.
Lokah Chapter 1 has succeeded largely as a result of the folklore-based superhero movie has resonated with audiences throughout India. The movie is doing good enterprise outdoors Kerala as effectively, and phrase of mouth has sustained it past the opening weekend. Kalyani Priyadarshan, the lead star and daughter of legendary filmmaker Priyadarshan, can rely the movie as her first solo hit. The actor has been in movies for a decade now, however all her different successes have are available in ensemble or hero-led initiatives.
All about Lokah Chapter 1
Directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan, Lokah Chapter 1 is the primary instalment of Dulquer’s Wayfarer Cinematic Universe. The movie additionally stars Naslen, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Raghunath Paleri, Vijayaraghavan, Nithya Shri and Sarath Sabha.