Nimish Ravi Sony VENICE 2: How Malayalam's Night Vampire Epic 'Lokah' Was Shot in 6 Months

Nimish Ravi chose Sony VENICE 2 for “Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra” to master night shoots with minimal lighting, delivering natural skin tones and crisp low-light visuals. Collaborating closely with director Dominic Arun, they shaped the film's bold aesthetic through daily creative discussions over two years of prep.

- 

During the six-month shoot, the Sony VENICE 2 came handy in challenging locations like pitch-dark caves, proving high-end tech can elevate modest-budget Malayalam storytelling.

How did Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra come your way, and what were your first thoughts about the film's visual tone and storytelling style?

Dominic Arun, the director of “Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra”, and I share a deep, longstanding friendship that dates back years. Our collaboration began around 2022 with the music video "Oblivion," which sparked our shared dream of tackling a feature film together. Though Dominic had debuted his first film eight years ago and I'd been immersed in my own projects, we kept brainstorming ideas post "Oblivion."

When he pitched the concept for Lokah, it immediately resonated. I joined from the earliest stages—right from pitching and story-building—making it a fluid, organic process. We shaped the narrative collaboratively on the fly, allowing the project to evolve naturally rather than starting from a fixed blueprint.

When you first sat down with the director, how did the two of you shape the visual identity of the film? What kind of mood or atmosphere were you trying to bring alive on screen?

Dominic already had an initial idea of what the film should communicate or convey. Since it was a long process, the visual style actually took shape along the way. Every day, we used to have conversations about how each scene should look and how each space should be designed. It was a gradual, ongoing process that eventually culminated in what you see now. So I think it was multiple days and multiple ideas that came together to shape the final look of the film.