Kalyani Priyadarshan says she feels “honoured” that her latest film has sparked conversations both within the film industry and among audiences. “It’s a film that people were excited to go to the theatres for, not once or twice, but multiple times, especially at a time when cinema attendance is declining,” she told Hindustan Times. 

Asked about the growing popularity of the superhero genre in India, Kalyani explained why it has traditionally struggled to take off. “Our heroes have always been superheroes in many ways. They defy gravity and do things that ordinary humans think aren’t possible. We just haven’t labelled them as superhero films—we’ve always called them hero films,” she said.

She added that the genre is now emerging in the Malayalam film industry because of its grounding in realism. “To make the action believable, we had to root it in a superhero genre. Otherwise, it might not have worked, at least in our state,” she noted.

Reflecting on the release of her film Lokah, Kalyani revealed the team’s biggest concern. “Our main fear was that, being a female superhero film, there is nothing comparable here. Our culture loves comparisons, and we knew we’d be measured against international films with 20–30 times our budget. I was very cautious in my early interviews, emphasising that this is not Avengers and my character is not like Wonder Woman. It’s heartening to see that comparisons were made in a positive way.”

Looking ahead, Kalyani expressed an interest in exploring comedy, a genre closely associated with her father, veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan. “I grew up watching comedies and have always been drawn to them. I want to prove myself there too, learning my limitations while also exploring that space,” she said.