OTT platforms initially rejected 'Lokah'; even Dulquer Salmaan and Tovino Thomas' cameo roles couldn’t convince buyers; Actor-producer REVEALS

After several months since the release of the fantasy action flick, Dulquer Salmaan has revealed that 'Lokah: Chapter 1 – Chandra' had faced major roadblocks before finally closing its digital release deal.

The actor-producer shared in a recent interview that no streaming platform was initially willing to acquire the film, even though both he and Tovino Thomas feature in cameo roles.

OTT deal was tough for 'Lokah'

Talking to The Hollywood Reporter, Dulquer Salmaan said, “We went twice over the budget, and nobody wanted to buy the film. Tovino and I were there, but they were like, ‘You are barely there for a few minutes’,”.

He explained that many OTT agreements today are strictly dependent on the duration of a star’s screen time rather than the quality of the film. “Their deal will be like, if you are there for many so minutes, we’ll pay you X amount. I’ve been part of such films,” he added.

Dulquer didn’t want to appear in the film despite producing it

Surprisingly, months back, in an interview with the same media, Dulquer admitted that he was initially reluctant to act in the film at all. His cameo as Charlie aka Odiyan became one of the film’s biggest highlights, but he says it happened only after a long internal debate. “I fought with them for it. I said, ‘You guys should be able to make it without me having to do anything.’ Even this cameo, I fought with them,” Dulquer revealed. Viewers later praised the mysterious entry of his character accompanied by Jakes Bejoy's powerpacked background score.

The producer who wants his banner to stand on its own

Dulquer emphasised that his goal is to build a production house independent of his personal stardom. “I kind of want it (his production house) to be a standalone entity. I am super greedy about movies,” he said. He noted that he finds greater excitement in backing strong stories rather than creating projects designed around his own presence. “For me, that is more exciting than me producing my own superhero movie,” he explained. Dulquer added that he was intentional about supporting a female-led superhero project and allowing the story to speak for itself without leaning on his screen presence for commercial safety.

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