Malayalam film ‘Lokah’ sparks outrage for portraying Bengaluru women negatively

Bengalureans express anger over Malayalam film Lokah, alleging the movie brands the city as a drug hub and demeans local women with derogatory dialogues.

A storm of criticism has erupted in Bengaluru against the Malayalam film Lokah, produced by Dulquer Salmaan under his banner Wayfarer Films and featuring Kalyani Priyadarshan in a superhero role. The movie, which unfolds entirely in Bengaluru, has been accused of branding the city as a hub of drugs and painting local women in a derogatory light.

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One particular dialogue has drawn intense anger. A character is shown refusing to marry a Bengaluru woman, remarking that “all girls here are pros*titutes.” Netizens and civic voices have slammed this as an insult to the dignity of Bengaluru’s women.

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Prominent Kannada filmmaker Mansore has also expressed strong disapproval, calling the portrayal misleading and damaging. Social media has amplified the outrage, with many Bengaluru residents voicing that the city and its youth are being wrongly stereotyped and insulted.

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What has stoked further anger is that the film’s entire narrative is set in Bengaluru, yet instead of showcasing its cosmopolitan strengths, critics say it reduces the city to a “drug city” stereotype. Distributed in Karnataka by Raj B. Shetty’s Laughter Buddha Productions, the movie is now facing a backlash that may affect its reception in the state.

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