Manjummel Boys

Manjummel Boys is a 2024 Indian Malayalam-language survival thriller film written and directed by Chidambaram. It is produced by Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony under Parava Films. The film stars an ensemble cast, which includes Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman and Shebin Benson. It is based on a true incident from 2006.^[3] The film follows a group of friends from a small town called Manjummel near Kochi, who decide to have a vacation in Kodaikanal, which is affected when one of them becomes trapped in the Guna Caves.

Manjummel Boys
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chidambaram
Written by	Chidambaram
Produced by	Soubin Shahir Babu Shahir Shawn Antony
Starring	Soubin Shahir Sreenath Bhasi Balu Varghese Ganapathi S. Poduval Lal Jr. Deepak Parambol Abhiram Radhakrishnan Arun Kurian Khalid Rahman Chandu Salimkumar Shebin Benson Vishnu Reghu
Cinematography	Shyju Khalid
Edited by	Vivek Harshan
Music by	Sushin Shyam
Production company	Parava Films
Distributed by	Sree Gokulam Movies
Release date	22 February 2024 (2024-02-22)
Running time	135 minutes
Country	India
Language	Malayalam
Budget	est.₹20 crore ^[1]
Box office	est.₹242.3 crore^[2]

The film was theatrically released on 22 February 2024 in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and received critical acclaim.^[4] It became the first film in the Malayalam film industry to earn more than ₹200 crore, and set several box-office records, becoming the the highest grossing Malayalam film ever, surpassing the record set by 2018.^[2] It also emerged as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024 and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2024.

Plot

2006: a group of friends from an arts club in Kochi leave on a trip to Kodaikanal in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, during the Onam vacation. They explore Kodaikanal and before leaving, one of the friends tells about Guna Caves, a place where the film Gunaa was shot. Inebriated, high and happy, the friends reach Guna Caves and decide to explore the restricted areas of the caves by themselves despite a warning from Dominic, a tourist guide. Though there are signs of a lurking danger, the friends explore further. Upon reaching a point, a few friends decide to etch down their group name "Manjummel Boys" on the rocks within the cave.

After etching it on the wall, the friends call out to show the remaining guys who are exploring on the other sides to take a picture and they all regroup. Subhash, one of the friends, falls into a covered hole in the ground while moving towards them. Initially everyone assumes he is pulling a prank, but as he does not respond even after calling out to him multiple times, they all start to panic. After the initial shock, a few of them run back to get help and others stay back and continue calling out to him in hopes that he would respond. They inform the locals of what happened and ask them for help, and they all suggest going to the police station and forest guard.

The locals also inform them that the specific area was off-limits to people for a reason and that so far 13 people have fallen into that hole and none were ever recovered, dead or alive. They mention that the British had called Guna Caves as The Devil's Kitchen due to this reason and that the particular hole is over 900 feet deep. Scared even more, the friends reach the local police station, where they are beaten; the police file an FIR against them for entering a restricted area. They are also accused of murdering Subhash and giving false complaints and no help is offered. Meanwhile, a rain starts which starts to flood the hole.

Finally after being convinced, and fearing backlash from the local people for failing to help, one of the police officers agrees to go with them to the cave. On the way, he informs them that the last person who fell into the hole was the former Central Minister's nephew around ten years ago and all the forces had gotten together to rescue him, but no one had been able to. The police officer, after inspecting the hole, suggests that they leave Subhash as he probably is no longer alive, but the friends are adamant about rescuing him. But soon one of the boys hears Subhash's cries, informs the others that he is alive and the police are also convinced to try and save him. They estimate that Subhash has fallen down into a depth of around 120 feet. They try lowering a rope, for Subhash to hold, but are sceptical that he may not be in a situation to hold on to the rope after a deep fall.

The fire department and more police officers are also called into the scene, but they are scared to go inside the hole to retrieve him. Seeing this, one of the friends, Siju David, decides to go down. The police officers are initially reluctant, but finally agree after being convinced by the friends and the locals. Siju is lowered into the hole, but along the way, the rope with which Siju is lowered runs out, and police are worried that it is unsafe to go any lower as there might be low oxygen levels, and they are not willing to risk Siju's life as well. However, Siju states that he can hear Subash's voice clearly and that he cannot leave him down there. The police arrange for more rope and reel Siju down more. At 120 feet, Siju is able to see Subash barely lying on a ledge covered in blood and muddy water due to the rain.

Siju is able to retrieve him and the rest of the friends pull them up together successfully. After receiving first aid from the nearest clinic, they take Subash to the hospital in their hometown, where Subash is treated more thoroughly. They decide not to tell anyone about the incident and tells Subash's family that he fell in a waterfall. Subash suffers trauma from the fall and is not able to sleep initially, but slowly starts recovering after going to trauma therapy. Later, the news that Siju saved Subhash comes out from a person who went to Tamil Nadu and Siju is applauded for his bravery. Two years later, he is awarded a medal which is shown along with the photos and story of the real Manjummel Boys in the credits.

Cast

• Soubin Shahir as Siju David aka "Kuttan"
  • Kevin as Young Kuttan
• Sreenath Bhasi as Subhash
  • Dilan Derin George as Young Subhash
• Balu Varghese as Sixen
• Ganapathi as Krishnakumar aka "Kannan"
  • Sathvik as Young Kannan
• Lal Jr. as Siju
• Deepak Parambol as Sudhi
• Abhiram Radhakrishnan as Anil
• Arun Kurian as Sujith
• Chandu Salimkumar as Abhilash
• Vishnu Reghu as Jinson
• Khalid Rahman as Prasad, Taxi Driver
• Pooja Mohanraj as Studio Girl
• Shebin Benson as Mejo
• George Maryan as Arumugam, a local seller
• Kathiresan as Head constable
• Ramachandran Durairaj as Dominic, a local guide
• Vijay Gaura as Rathnavel, a local tourist photographer
• Vijay Muthu as Sub-Inspector
• Karthika Vellathery as Bride
• Mani as Forest range officer
• Sasikumar as Police officer
• Vijayalakshmi as Valli, the tea stall lady

The real life Manjummel Boys made a cameo appearance as the opposing gang during the tug of war contest.^[5]

Production

Development

The project was initially reported in January 2023 by The New Indian Express, which was the second of Chidambaram after Jan. E. Man (2021).^[6] Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi were roped to play the lead roles, in their fifth collaboration following Parava (2017), Kumbalangi Nights, Virus (2019), and Bheeshma Parvam (2022). Soubin also produced the film with his father Babu Shahir and producer-distributor Shawn Antony under their maiden production house Parava Films.^[6] Cinematographer Shyju Khalid, musician Sushin Shyam, editor Vivek Harshan and production designer Ajayan Chalissery were announced as a part of the technical crew.^[6][7]

Filming

Principal photography commenced at Kodaikanal on 26 January 2023 and concluded on 17 July.^[8] The film was shot around 101 working days throughout multiple schedules.^[9] A few scenes were also shot in Kochi and Perumbavoor.^[10] The cave and its surrounding shown in the film is actually set constructed by production designer Ajayan Chalissery.^[11]

Music

Main article: Manjummel Boys (soundtrack)

The original score and soundtrack of Manjummel Boys is composed by Sushin Shyam. It features two tracks, which were sung by Pradeep Kumar and rapper Vedan. The lyrics were penned by Anwar Ali and Vedan. In this film, the 1991 Tamil film Gunaa is also mentioned many times, especially through the song "Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan".^[12]

Release

Manjummel Boys was theatrically released on 22 February 2024.^[13] Prior to the film's theatrical release, the Film Exhibitors Union Organisation of Kerala (FEUOK) announced that they would halt the screening of Malayalam-language films in theatres owing to the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) and Film Distributors Association's decision to not to screen films that would be released in streaming platforms in less than 42 days.^[14] Eventually, KFPA affirmed on the film's release in specific theatres which followed the contractual agreements.^[15] Prior to the film's release, it garnered ₹1.47 crore (US$180,000) from advance bookings across Kerala.^[16] The Telugu-language dubbed version was released on 6 April 2024.^[17]

Distribution

It was released by Sree Gokulam Movies through Dream Big Films in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The overseas rights acquired by Phars Film Co. It was distributed across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana by Mythri Movie Makers, Sukumar Writings, and Primeshow Entertainment.^[18]

Home Media

The digital streaming rights and satellite rights were acquired by Disney+ Hotstar and Asianet, respectively.^[19] The film was premiered on Disney+ Hotstar from 5 May 2024 in Malayalam and dubbed versions of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi languages.^[20]

Reception

Box office

On the opening day of its release, the film earned a net collection of ₹3.3 crore (US$410,000) and gross collection of ₹3.9 crore (US$490,000), while also earning ₹2.1 crore (US$260,000) from overseas markets.^[21] At the second day, the film garnered ₹3.25 crore (US$410,000), a marginal drop of 1.52% in comparison with the previous day's release, but saw an upward trend on the third and fourth day, garnering around ₹4.25 crore (US$530,000) and ₹4.75 crore (US$590,000). The film earned ₹15.5 crore (US$1.9 million) within the first four days of its release in the domestic regions, while also earning ₹13.25 crore (US$1.7 million).^[22] At the end of the first week, the film crossed ₹50 crore at the worldwide box office, earning ₹28 crore (US$3.5 million) domestically and ₹22 crore (US$2.8 million) from overseas.^[23] By March 2024, the film crossed ₹100 crore.^[24] As of 21 March 2024, Manjummel Boys has grossed a worldwide total of ₹200 crore (US$25 million).^[25]

In Tamil Nadu, the film garnered ₹1 crore (US$130,000) at the box office in the first weekend.^[26] Within ten days, the film earned ₹15 crore (US$1.9 million), thereby becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film in the state.^[27] Film analysts and exhibitors attributed the success of the film which was primarily attributed to 60% of the film being set in Tamil Nadu which connected with the local audiences, along with the nostalgia, themes and emotional connect with family audience and youngsters, and popular references to Tamil cinema, primilarily Gunaa, which was shot in the Gunaa caves.^[28][29] Exhibitors further described that the lack of notable Tamil films and the releases during February and March 2024 not performing well as expected were the contributing factors for the film's overperformance in the state.^[30]

Critical response

Manjummel Boys received critical acclaim from critics with praise for its technical aspects, acting, script and direction. S. Devasankar of Pinkvilla gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Manjummel Boys is one of the finest additions to Malayalam survival thriller films. The film demands a theater watch with the best sound quality for the best experience, and is sure to leave the audience shook".^[31] Gopika I. S. of The Times of India gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Manjummel Boys isn't your average friendship flick packed like a survival film. If you are looking for a crisp survival film, this is it. It's an absolute marvel of visuals, absolutely good writing, characterisation, editing, acting and all the thrills".^[32]

Arjun Menon of Rediff gave 4/5 stars and wrote "Manjummel Boys gets so many things right that the small nitpicks don't amount to much in the larger picture".^[33] Sanjith Sridharan of OTTplay gave 3+1⁄2 / 5 stars and wrote "Chidambaram hasn't tried to overdramatise Manjummel Boys for the sake of entertainment and has kept it mostly true to the events that had transpired in Kodaikanal in 2006".^[34]

Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Despite its shortcomings, Chidambaram's film can indeed be seen as a powerful tribute to the real Manjummel Boys and their determined efforts to save their dear one".^[35] Janani K. of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Director Chidambaram's Manjummel Boys is a heartwarming thriller which is earnest in its attempt".^[36]

S. R. Praveen of The Hindu wrote "Though the survival thriller part brings back memories of Bharathan's Malootty, this one takes a different path by tying the events closely to their friendship of the characters".^[37] Princy Alexander of Onmanorama wrote "Overall, the movie is a neatly crafted tale of friendship that triumphs over the survival drama".^[38] The real life Manjummel Boys make a cameo appearance as the opposing gang during a tug of war contest.^[39]

References

1. "This film made in Rs 20 crore with no superstars, heroine, all new actors, is fastest to earn Rs 100 crore in industry". DNA India. 7 March 2024.
2. "സൂപ്പർ താരങ്ങളില്ല, ഓടിയത് 73 ദിവസം, നേടിയത് 240 കോടി ! 'മഞ്ഞുമ്മൽ' പിള്ളേർ നാളെ ഒടിടിയിൽ, ആകെ നേടിയത് ?". AsianetNews (in Malayalam). 4 May 2024.
3. "Soubin Shahir's Manjummel Boys, based on true events, has this thrilling connection to Kamal Haasan's Gunaa". OTT Play. from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
4. Praveen, S. R. (22 February 2024). "Immaculately crafted survival thriller". The Hindu. from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
5. "Easter egg unveiled: The Real Manjummel Boys make a surprise appearance in the survival thriller". The Times of India. from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
6. "'Jan.E.Man' director Chidambaram's next titled 'Manjummel Boys'". New Indian Express. 6 January 2023. from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
7. "'Manjummel Boys' will be a game changer'; says music composer Sushin Shyam". Times Of India. 13 December 2023. from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
8. "Jan.E.Man Director Chidambaram's Manjummel Boys Goes On Floors". News 18. 27 January 2023. from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
9. "It's a wrap for Soubin Shahir's 'Manjummel Boys'". Times Of India. 18 July 2023. from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
10. "Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi's Manjummel Boys is about travel and friendship". OTT Play. from the original on 31 January 2024. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
11. "Real Guna Cave or set? Manjummel Boys production designer Ajayan Chalissery spills the beans". Manorama Online. from the original on 7 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
12. "Why Kerala's 'Manjummel Boys' is a perfect tribute to Kamal Haasan's 'Guna'". from the original on 5 March 2024. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
13. "'Manjummel Boys' gets a release date!". The Times of India. 12 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
14. Staff, T. N. M. (21 February 2024). "Kerala theatres to not screen Malayalam films releasing from Feb 22: Here's why". The News Minute. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
15. "The Kerala Film Producers' Association takes a stand against theaters and threatens non-cooperation over the 'Manjummel Boys' screening dispute". The Times of India. 18 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
16. "'Manjummel Boys' pre-sales: Chidambaram's survival film rakes in more than Rs 1 crore". The Times of India. 22 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
17. "Telugu-dubbed Version Of Manjummel Boys To Release On This Date". News18. 28 March 2024.
18. "The release of "Manjummel Boys" in Telugu by the Mythri Movie Makers Is A Matter Of Pride. "Manjummel Boys" connects well with Telugu audiences: Director Chidambaram S Poduval". Industry Hit. 30 March 2024.
19. "Manjummel Boys Malayalam OTT release: When and where to watch Soubin Shahir-Sreenath Bhasi starrer survival thriller". Pinkvilla. 26 March 2024.
20. "Malayalam hit 'Manjummel Boys' locks its OTT release date". Onmanorama. Retrieved 28 April 2024.
21. "'Manjummel Boys' box office collection day 1: Soubin Shahir, Lal, Sreenath Bhasi, and Balu Varghese starrer beats Mammootty's 'Bramayugam' on the opening day". The Times of India. 23 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
22. "'Manjummel Boys' box office collection day 4: The survival thriller rakes in Rs 15 crore". The Times of India. 26 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
23. "'Manjummel Boys' box office collection day 7: The survival thriller crosses Rs 50 crore in 7 days!". The Times of India. 29 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
24. "It's official! 'Manjummel Boys' crosses Rs 100 crore worldwide!". The Times of India. 5 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
25. "It's official! 'Manjummel Boys' crosses the Rs 200 crore milestone in 26 days". The Times of India. 19 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
26. "'Manjummel Boys' crosses Rs 1 crore at the Tamil Nadu box office". The Times of India. 26 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
27. "'Manjummel Boys' on a dream run in Tamil Nadu; mints Rs 15 crore". The Times of India. 4 March 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
28. Rajendran, Sowmya (5 March 2024). "The 'Divine' Appeal of Tamil Cinema to Malayalis: Manjummel Boys and Beyond". Film Companion South. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
29. Ganeshan, Balakrishna; Rajkumar, Akchayaa (7 March 2024). "Malayalam film Manjummel Boys is doing wonders for Tamil Nadu theatres". The News Minute. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
30. Chandar, Bhuvanesh (18 March 2024). "Beyond 'Kanmani Anbodu': A look into the success of 'Manjummel Boys' in Tamil Nadu". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
31. "Manjummel Boys Movie Review: Sreenath-Soubin Shahir's survival thriller is heart-thumping tale that exemplifies friendship". Pinkvilla. 22 February 2024. from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
32. "Manjummel Boys Movie Review: Chidambaram's Ensemble Survival Film Has It All; It's Well Written, Well Executed". The Times of India. from the original on 8 March 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
33. "Manjummel Boys Review: Heartfelt Ode to Friendship". Rediff.
34. "Manjummel Boys review: Chidambaram carves an earnest rescue thriller that relies on emotions to carry it". OTTplay. from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
35. "Manjummel Boys movie review: Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi's chilling survival thriller asserts that hope is a good thing and no good thing ever dies". The Indian Express. 22 February 2024. from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
36. "'Manjummel Boys' Review: Soubin Shahir's survival drama is heartwarming, earnest". India Today. from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
37. Praveen, S. R. (22 February 2024). "'Manjummel Boys' movie review: Chidambaram pulls off an immaculately-crafted survival thriller". The Hindu. from the original on 25 February 2024. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
38. "A neatly crafted survival thriller: Manjummel Boys review". Onmanorama. from the original on 28 February 2024. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
39. "Easter egg unveiled: The Real Manjummel Boys make a surprise appearance in the survival thriller". The Times of India. from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 9 March 2024.

External links

• Manjummel Boys at IMDb