Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Plot overview: A group of friends who live in Manjummel, a locality in Kerala’s Ernakulam district, embark on a small trip to Kodaikanal. Tragedy strikes when one of them falls into a dark, endless pit at a tourist spot called Guna Caves.
Written and directed by Chidambaram, the 2024 film “Manjummel Boys” is based on a true story and starts off on a celebratory note, with the primary group of friends attending a wedding and dancing to a groovy rap song. In fact, the first forty minutes are lighthearted, setting the stage for the eventual conflict and familiarizing viewers with the boisterous group of men, who might be a fun set of friends, but make for an annoying group of tourists.
Despite fences and “prohibited area” signs, the friends venture into a restricted area while exploring Guna Caves, and one of them – Subhash (played by Sreenath Bhasi) – falls into a deep pit. Difficult weather, past precedents, unhelpful cops, and local superstitions attached to the spot make it even harder for the friends to rescue Subhash. Amid mounting challenges, the ‘Manjummel Boys’ refuse to leave the spot until they get to take their friend back home with them.
With a lineup of top-notch actors like Sreenath Bhasi, Soubin Shahir, Balu Varghese, Ganapathy, and Jean Paul Lal, “Manjummel Boys” dives into the essence of friendship, hope, and unwavering determination. While the slow start might make viewers wonder why Chidambaram takes so much time to get to the crux of the tale, once the survival drama chapter begins, many of the earlier scenes fall into place, providing viewers with a more stirring climax. Although at 2 hours and 15 minutes, the film could have shortened some of the earlier scenes and instead extended the rescue mission by a few more minutes.
“Manjummel Boys” doesn’t just smoothly shift its mood from cheery to somber, but the makers also astutely manage to shift the viewer’s perception of the friends’ group. From starting off as rowdies who get intoxicated in public places and create a nuisance, they transform into genuine, loyal companions who, despite police intimidation, refuse to abandon their friend in need.
Each actor makes you cheer for their efforts to bring Subhash to safety. Soubin Shahir as Kuttan, one of the oldest in the group, emerges as the unlikeliest hero in the tale. The local cops perhaps are the only antagonists in the film, who aren’t interested in helping the boys, not until they realize the media has already caught a whiff of the story, so there would be trouble if they are caught napping on duty.
Both the cinematography and soundtrack of “Manjummel Boys” are vividly engaging. From stunning drone shots of Kodaikanal, Guna Caves, and even the sleepy Manjummel, to simpler shots of the friends doing touristy things, the camerawork is almost immaculate in capturing the essence of the locations featured in the film. Since Guna caves got its name from Kamal Hassan’s cult-classic 1991 movie “Gunaa”, the creators aptly pay homage to the film by playing its song in a crucial climactic scene. Even though it feels odd for the moment, it somehow heightens the scene’s emotional intensity perfectly.
This isn’t your typical survival drama film, which tends to be tense throughout. Instead, “Manjummel Boys” starts off as a slice-of-life tale about male camaraderie, then twists into the path of a survival thriller before emerging as a tribute to small-town heroes. It perhaps also (hopefully) serves as a cautionary tale to tourists against venturing into place one isn’t supposed to – like an infamous cave which is known as the Devil’s kitchen.
You can stream “Manjummel Boys” on Disney Hotstar.
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