While female-led films have started to enter the ₹100 crore club in Hindi cinema over the last decade, the same has not been true for the four southern industries. Over the last 10 years, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam cinema have made giant leaps in terms of box office collections. But these have largely been on the back of mass action films headlined by male superstars. It is only this year that a South Indian film led by a female star has finally crossed the ₹100 crore mark worldwide. And it has been achieved by someone not traditionally considered a star.
South India’s highest-grossing female-led film
Malayalam superhero film, Lokah Chapter 1, has emerged as one of the biggest success stories in Indian cinema in 2025. After just seven days in the theatres, the film has earned ₹46 crore net ( ₹53.50 crore gross) in the domestic market, along with $6 million ( ₹52 crore gross) overseas. This has taken its worldwide haul to ₹105.50 crore. Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra stars Kalyani Priyadarshan in the titular role, making the film the highest-grossing female-led film produced in any of the four south film industries (Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam).
Lokah Chapter 1 has broken the record set by Keerthy Suresh‘s National Award-winning Mahanati, which earned ₹85 crore. The next three spots in the top 5 all belong to Anushka Shetty – Rudhramdevi ( ₹84 crore), Arundhati ( ₹70 crore), Bhaagamathie ( ₹67 crore).
How Kalyani Priyadarshan beat superstars
While Tamil and Telugu cinema have seen several female superstars like Anushka Shetty, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Ramya Krishnan, and Nayanthara, none of them managed to take a film led by them to the ₹100-crore mark. Samantha’s Oh Baby managed ₹40 crore, while Nayanthara’s Imaikkaa Nodigal grossed ₹35 crore. Anushka Shetty‘s Rudhramdevi and Arundhati would probably earn over ₹150 crore each if adjusted for inflation, but unadjusted, they too, fail to cross ₹100 crore.
Lokah Chapter 1 has succeeded largely because the folklore-based superhero film has resonated with audiences across India. The film is doing good business outside Kerala as well, and word of mouth has sustained it beyond the opening weekend. Kalyani Priyadarshan, the lead star and daughter of legendary filmmaker Priyadarshan, can count the film as her first solo hit. The actor has been in films for a decade now, but all her other successes have come in ensemble or hero-led projects.
All about Lokah Chapter 1
Directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan, Lokah Chapter 1 is the first instalment of Dulquer’s Wayfarer Cinematic Universe. The film also stars Naslen, Sandy, Arun Kurian, Chandu Salimkumar, Nishanth Sagar, Raghunath Paleri, Vijayaraghavan, Nithya Shri and Sarath Sabha.
