Introduction:
The Malayalam survival thriller “Manjummel Boys”, was directed by Chidambaram S. Poduval with the director’s proven penchant for intertwining humour and hard-hitting plots. The story is about five friends who go on a trip to Kodaikanal and during this journey, one of their friends meets with an accident and falls into Guna Caves, a dangerous well from where nobody can come out. In drama, storyline, emotional appeal and conflict-driven content, “Manjummel Boys” seeks to creatively engage its audience as it explores the facets of friendship and bravery.
Release Date:
The movie titled ‘Manjummel Boys’ was released in theatres on April 6, 2024, in its original Malayalam language. The film is dubbed in Telugu and is subtitled in multiple formats, namely English, Spanish, and French to suit the maximum number of audiences.
Crew:
| Category | Name/s |
|---|---|
| Director | Chidambaram |
| Producer | Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir, Shawn Antony |
| Story Writer | Chidambaram |
| Screenplay | Chidambaram |
| Editor | Vivek Harshan |
Cast:
| Actor/Actress | Character name |
|---|---|
| Soubin Shahir | Siju David |
| Sreenath Bhasi | Subhash |
| Deepak Parambol | Sudhi |
| Khalid Rahman | Prasad |
| Jean Paul Lal | Siju |
| Chandu Salimkumar | Abhilash |
| Ganapathi | Krishnakumar |
| Balu Varghese | Sixon |
| Arun Kurian | Sujith |
| George Maryan | Arumugam |
| Abhiram Radhakrishnan | Anil |
| Shebin Benson | Mejo |
| Ramachandran Durairaj | Dominic |
| Vishnu Reghu | Jinson |
| Vijay Muthu | Sub-Inspector |
| Sasikumar | Police Officer |
Story:
In 2006, the film focuses on six friends from Manjummel going for a holiday trip to Kodaikanal. This turns into what has become a nightmare for their fun adventure when one of the friends, Subhash (Soubin Shahir), stumbled and falls into the Guna Caves also known as the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’ – a deep ravine which is very fatal, everyone dies – literally.
When the group feels the terror and has lost all their hope they all collaboratively plan a rescue mission seek help from local police and smartly rescue Subhash. Time from time, there are flashbacks Showing memories of their childhood; This shows their friendship and the risks they are willing to take when undertaking this mission.
Review:
Some of the positive remarks that are common with “Manjummel Boys” include the capabilities of the narrative to capture the audience’s attention and the emotional aspect of the drama. The fans have lauded how the director has incorporated both comedy and serious and action-packed scenes in the film. There is still that certain cliché feeling from time to time where some of the viewers may feel they can easily guess the next scene, but the presentation would hook the viewers.
Positives:
- Strong Performances: The cast can be appreciated for the performances which were charged by Soubin Shahir in the role of Subhash and Sreenath Bhasi in the role of his friend. These two bring the feel of realistic friendships in the movie as portrayed in the script.
- Emotional Depth: The film is also successful in portraying themes of friendship, personal sacrifice and courage and thus has the feeling appeal to the audience.
- Cinematography: The movie locations are selected for shooting at Kodaikanal where shifting the located team and capturing the rescue operation within the caves of Kodaikanal is well depicted.
- Technical Excellence: There are elements of production and sound designs used to make the viewers increase concern and be part of it all.
Negatives:
- Predictable Plot Points: Nevertheless, some of the viewers pointed out that there are some cliches in the movie and some moments could easily be predicted if the viewer is familiar with the genre of survival movies.
- Pacing Issues: Sometimes it may be hard to keep interest during the first half of the movie as the pace may be slow, especially when the action of the movie is not intense and comprises more than half of the movie.
- Underdeveloped Supporting Characters: The main heroes are very positive and responsive, however, some secondary characters can hardly be described as well-developed although more screentime to them could be given.
Technical Aspects:
- Direction: The thought process demonstrated by Chidambaram is good as he manages to inject humour into such scenes and make them interesting with lots of drama.
- Editing: The editing by Vivek Harshan is good for most parts of the film though it could have been done more precisely to bring more tightly knitted sequences.
- Music: The music composition by Sushin Shyam supports the film and gives an added emotional feel to the film without stepping on the film’s creative elements.
Performance:
Soubin Shahir’s portrayal of Subhash was quite commendable especially the tender side of him forced into such a situation. The actor Sreenath Bhasi also plays his friends’ role convincingly and does justice to qualities like loyalty and determination. The characters that are portrayed by the actors and actresses do support the story line well though the supporting characters need more characterization.
Moviepoptime Review:
‘It makes one think about the meaning of friendship and that to me is an important reason to make films like this’, ‘The acting powerhouse Soubin and others make Manjummel Boys stand out and grow and reach the bottom of people’s hearts, as well as it deserving the cinematic experience of a large screen so we should all go to see it.’
Conclusion:
I found this movie student’s experience in “Manjummel Boys” to fit well in the survival thriller genre that was accentuated with humour but with a heart touch. There is some slow pace and it has some plot points that may be easily guessed, the intense performances along with the technical brilliance make it a worthwhile watch for all Malayalam movie lovers. Incorporation of the theme of friendship and bravery coupled with the act of integrating a real-life event make ‘Manjummel Boys’ delightful for movie lovers who are interested in the entertaining yet meaningful work.
Also Read: Saripodhaa Sanivaaram Movie Review