Manjummel Boys (2024)

Manjummel Boys 2024: a true-incident survival drama

Manjummel Boys 2024 is a Malayalam film written and directed by Chidambaram. Reports describe it as being based on a real incident, centred on a group of friends from Manjummel, a small town near Kochi, who go on a holiday to Kodaikanal.

The appeal of this kind of story lies in contrast: an ordinary friends' trip, with its jokes and easy bonds, set against circumstances that test those bonds. Because the film leans on a real event, it is worth going in with only the basic premise and letting the rest unfold. We have not watched it, so we offer context rather than a verdict.

Cast and production

The lead actors are Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi and Balu Varghese. The wider ensemble named in listings includes Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar, Shebin Benson and Vishnu Reghu.

Soubin Shahir also produced the film through Parava Films. It is an ensemble piece, so no single performer carries the story alone; character names were not confirmed in the sources we read.

Release date and where to watch

The film opened on 22 February 2024 in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Disney+ Hotstar announced streaming from 5 May 2024 in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada; one article gave 3 May, but the 5 May date is better supported. Reports also say it became the highest-grossing Malayalam film at that time, crossing 200 crore rupees, though we saw this only through press coverage. Check current Hotstar availability.

The real incident and how it was filmed

According to Wikipedia, the story draws on a 2006 incident at the Guna Caves in Kodaikanal, where a member of a friends' group from Kochi fell into a deep fissure during a trip. The caves are also known as the setting of the 1991 Tamil film Gunaa, which this film references. Chidambaram is said to have spent around a year and a half writing the script and to have spoken with the real group before committing to the project.

Shooting is reported to have begun in Kodaikanal on 26 January 2023 and finished on 17 July, over roughly 101 working days. About ninety percent of the film was reportedly shot inside a replica of the cave built by production designer Ajayan Chalissery in an abandoned warehouse in Perumbavoor, which explains why the sets are frequently praised in coverage.

Music, crew and recognition

Sushin Shyam composed the score and songs, Shyju Khalid is credited as cinematographer and Vivek Harshan as editor; the listed runtime is 135 minutes. A Telugu-dubbed version is reported to have reached cinemas on 6 April 2024, and the later streaming release on Disney+ Hotstar included dubbed versions in several languages.

Wikipedia describes critical response as broadly positive and quotes one critic calling it one of the finest Malayalam survival thrillers. It also reports a worldwide gross above 240 crore rupees against a budget of about 20 crore, and ten awards at the 55th Kerala State Film Awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay. These are figures from a single compiled source, so read them as reported rather than audited.

Who it suits

Reviews were described as strong. It suits viewers who like survival stories rooted in friendship, true-incident dramas, and Malayalam cinema that mixes humour with tension. Those uneasy with intense or claustrophobic material may want to read more before watching.