Vicky Kaushal praises Kalyani Priyadarshan’s act in ‘Lokah’, calls it a TRICKY performance

Vicky Kaushal and Kalyani Priyadarshan may come from different corners of Indian cinema, Bollywood and Malayalam film industries, but their success stories this year run parallel. Each stars in their respective industry’s top-grossing film of 2025, with Vicky leading ‘Chhaava’ and Kalyani headlining ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’. Recently, Vicky shared his thoughts on Kalyani’s portrayal in ‘Lokah’, admitting that her role wasn’t an easy one to master.

Vicky Kaushal discusses Kalyani Priyadarshan’s groundbreaking role

In ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’, Malayalam actress Kalyani breaks new ground by playing a superhero, a role rarely seen for women in Indian cinema. Reflecting on the challenges of such a portrayal at The Hollywood Reporter India's Actors Roundtable 2025, Vicky said, “I feel what's tricky as an actor is to deliver a performance on a character which is supposed to be stoic at for most.”

Vicky Kaushal breaks down Kalyani Priyadarshan’s stoic performance

In the film, Kalyani transforms into Chandra, also known as Kalliyankattu Neeli, a mythical vengeful spirit rooted in Kerala folklore who has existed for centuries. Owing to the nature of the character, she maintains a calm, almost expressionless manner that exudes composure. Reflecting on her performance, the actor said, “She was completely still, you know, and still to kind of not make me feel that it's a flat performance, but it's meaning something in every scene. I think that's huge.”

Vicky Kaushal’s success with ‘Chhaava’

Kaushal’s latest film was the grand historical action ‘Chhaava’, where he brought to life Maratha king Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s fierce resistance against the Mughal empire. The film stormed the box office to become 2025’s highest-grossing Hindi release, collecting ₹807 crore, as reported by trade tracker Sacnilk. On the national scale, it stands just behind the Kannada epic ‘Kantara Chapter 1’, the biggest Indian hit of the year.

Lokah’s record-breaking box office run

‘Lokah’ has taken the box office by storm, earning over ₹300 crore and becoming the biggest hit ever from the Malayalam film industry, which usually works with smaller budgets. Directed by Dominic Arun and produced by Dulquer Salmaan, who also pops up in a cameo, the film’s massive success has set the stage for a larger franchise. The makers have already announced a sequel, with plans to turn ‘Lokah’ into a five-part series.