Malayalam film industry has evolved; rise of OTT platforms has opened up opportunities for stories like ‘Manjummel Boys’ to be told: Chidambaram.

Goa-The captivating Malayalam rescue drama ‘Manjummel Boys’ was featured in the Indian Panorama section of the 55^th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Today, the film’s director, Shri Chidambaram, engaged with the media at the opening press conference for Day 6 of the 55^th IFFI, held at the PIB Media Centre in Goa.The story of the film is inspired by a real-life incident involving an 11-member team of Malayali youth from Manjummel, a village near Kochi, Kerala. The team had visited Devil’s Kitchen, also known as Guna Caves, located in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. The caves gained fame after the filming of Kamal Haasan’s movie Guna there. During their visit, one of the team members accidentally fell deep into a pit within the cave. When even the local police and fire brigade gave up hope, Siju David took it upon himself to heroically rescue his friend, embarking on a daring and adventurous mission.The incident, which highlights the power of friendship and selflessness, is a testament to the bravery of these eleven young men from Manjummel.

Shri Chidambaram shared that the incident on which the film is based is widely known. A different team had attempted to make a movie about it a decade ago, but at that time, the industry was not ready to invest in such a story. However, the Malayalam film industry has since evolved, and the rise of OTT platforms has opened up more opportunities for stories like this to be told.

When discussing the challenges faced, the director highlighted the difficulties of recreating Guna Cave in a warehouse in Kochi, as shooting in the actual cave was not possible. The team had to rely on bravery, meticulous attention to detail, and persistence to capture the essence of the cave and its unique features.“The true protagonist of the film is the cave,” Shri Chidambaram remarked. “I only wish I could have conveyed the cave’s scent to the screen,” he concluded.