“Manjummel Boys” was a critically and commercially successful Malayalam film that premiered in February 2024 in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It broke the Rs 200 crore barrier, making history in the Malayalam cinema industry. Mythri Movie Makers has now released the Telugu version.

Kodaikanal was the destination of a 2006 outing for a bunch of buddies. Their journey begins with a tour of the hill station and ends in the Guna Caves, so called because of the film starring Kamal Haasan.

The youths, drunk with alcohol, daringly enter a no-go area. One of the lads, Subash, falls into a deep pit.

The natives claim that nobody has ever made it out of the ravine alive. Following this, the plot thickens as the other friends, aided by government officials and the locals, try to save their comrade.

Superb acting from all of the performers. I think they’ve all done an excellent job. We are not familiar with any of these performers.

In addition to Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi, other performers like Deepak Parambol and Chandu Salim Kumar have given excellent performances.

Technical :

Shyju Khalid deserves special recognition for the cinematography he did. He expertly captured the dramatic mood of the caverns and the aftermath of the disaster, in addition to the stunning scenery of Kodaikanal.

Sushin Shyam’s outstanding background score heightens the tension even further. At critical junctures, the ominous soundtrack delivers a shiver down the spine.

When these films have top-notch editing and sound design, they really shine. The editor has done an outstanding job. One more perk is the smooth operation. It has outstanding sound design.

Analysis:

The events depicted in “Manjummel Boys” actually took place in the Tamil Nadu town of Kodaikanal. A group of courageous young guys from Manjummel, Kerala, rescued a friend from the Guna cave in 2006, and this film is based on their true story. Kerala is home to the village of Manjummel. And hence, the title.

Chidambaram, the film’s director, has given this occurrence a dramatic twist and delivered the picture in a thrilling and suspenseful manner. In addition to being a survival thriller, “Manjummel Boys” delves into the topic of friendship.

I would not call this a “story” film. The plot centres on saving a companion who plummeted into a gorge by chance. However, filmmaker Chidambaram uses a plethora of script tactics to hold our interest throughout the entire film. His screenplays are top-notch.

The thrilling surviving scenes in the Hollywood picture “127 Hours” are much outdone by filmmaker Chidambaram’s work. But Chidambaram’s great storytelling manages to hold our attention throughout. Furthermore, he skilfully weaves the music and cinema of Kamal Haasan’s “Guna” into the script, elevating the concept to a beautiful whole.

The lack of over-the-top moments is what makes this picture so interesting. The rescue takes place in an organic way, with cinematic approaches used to show the people’s responses and the succeeding episodes. In both his writing and his execution, director Chidambaram has received outstanding backing from the technical team.

Even though there are some dull moments, they help make the film enjoyable as a whole. One great thing about the picture is that even during the most intense rescue scenes, the audience never feels overwhelmed. Moreover, neither extreme dramaticness nor exaggeration are there.

“Manjummel Boys” is, all things considered, an excellent survival thriller. Even if you don’t think the film is amazing, you’ll still have a nice time seeing this survival story about friendship.

Movie: Manjummel Boys

ibomma Rating: 3/5
Cast: 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, and others
Music Director: Sushin Shyam
DOP: Shyju Khalid
Editor: Vivek Harshan
Producers: Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, Shawn Antony
Written and Directed by: Chidambaram
Release Date: April 06, 2024

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