Manjummel Boys — a folklore of resilience

This review contains spoilers.

On the way to Kodaikanal, the group of friends from Kerala take a pit stop at Palani. Known for the Arulmigu Dhandayuthapani Swamy Temple, Palani is a prominent religious destination hosting one of the Six Abodes of Murugan in South India. Hailing from a small hamlet called Manjummel in Ernakulam, the group consists of theists as well as atheists. In a mundane conversation about faith, an atheist friend Subhash (Sreenath Bhasi) asks “What is God?” to which the Driver Prasad (Khalid Rahman) replies, “God is… you know the light that shines from above?”

Based on a true story, Manjummel Boys is about the group of friends whose vacation becomes a nightmare when Subhash falls into a crevice in the Devil’s Kitchen — popularly named as Guna Caves after Kamal Haasan’s Gunaa (1991) was shot there. The striking takeaway from writer-director Chidambaram’s survival thriller drama was every faith and belief being challenged through hope and resilience. For those who seek belief, there is ample light to guide their paths. But how far can your belief and faith take you?

The writing is simple, it’s about how one sows the seeds and reaps the harvest for a better payoff and callbacks. The characters are established in an ensemble with a certain limit to the detail and depth. Although, it would have been a great dynamic if the characters were explored more because there are a few characters with peculiar traits and some who merely exist but are backbone. Nevertheless, it would have been an intense character study and not a survival story. Hence, the minimal details help in serving the larger perspective — the survival and not sentimentalism.

For instance, Sixon (Balu Varghese) is introduced as someone who speaks in a loud voice to which the others in the group are often irritated. Later, it’s used as a smart device while revealing Subhash’s existence down in the crevice with Sixon’s emotionally amplifying voice. Although, his voice serves the purpose but it does have a background — in the initial scenes, the hamlet of Manjummel features large factories which can be seen in the wide shots as well as noticed in the sound design when a factory siren goes off in the background. Later, Sixon is seen to be working in a metal factory, indicative of the reason for his loud voice.

Manjummel Boys doesn’t route through conventional troupe of character introductions rather it cuts straightaway to a certain time period and for which the camaraderie of actors must feel natural, and it does. Every character has a distinct personality, it is also primarily due to the way the characters are performed by an ensemble of actors. There is a sense of rootedness albeit any consciousness of “performance” or “enactment of a real person” since it’s based on a true story. The actors have soaked themselves into the characters despite being introduced through montages. But, this is one aspect which feels very doctored as well as very concise surmounting towards a larger payoff — I see it as a positive.

Coming back to faith and belief being challenged, the locals and authorities hold a folklore about the Devil’s Kitchen (Guna Caves), portraying it as a place of Satan’s desire. This crevice has claimed the lives of all who entered; no one has ever resurrected, nor have any remains been found. The group is even informed about a person who retrieves the bodies of those who committed suicide but refuses to venture into the crevice. The odds being stacked against the boys adds a palpable tension, adding an insurmountable barrier that challenges hope and resilience to find their way through a maze of emotions. The determined efforts of the boys striving to rescue Subhash causes the locals to taste the test of their belief in the folklore.

Most of the times, such kind of genre films end at the emotional jubilance and mourning of the survival, for example, Aashiq Abu’s Virus (2019) and Jude Anthony Joseph’s 2018 (2023). But, Manjummel Boys features an excellent epilogue depicting the aftermath of the rescue operation — it’s about trauma, guilt, redemption, and recognition. I liked how the film opens with Palani Temple didn’t just serve to prove a belief or propel the narrative but also a revelation device. The film opens with a group of Hindu religious travellers from Manjummel find a piece of newspaper featuring the news article. Returning back home, one of them heads to the church since it also features a picture of Siju David a.k.a Kuttan (Soubin Shahir) alongside Subhash. The group lie about their adventurous nightmare to their families sparking a misunderstanding which gets a redemption based on the newspaper; and it completes the whole narrative arc.

Additionally, the shift in colour tone from warm to cold effectively portrays the unforgiving nature of the terrain, creating a sense of isolation similar to being in a foreign land. Speaking of foreign land, the film takes place in Kodaikanal situated in Tamil Nadu. Director Chidambaram could have easily taken the cinematic liberty of the Tamil natives speaking in Malayalam for a better understanding. This is where authenticity steps in as the natives speak Tamil — only an important piece of information i.e. the folklore has hardcoded Malayalam subtitles. There is an underlying harmony between the two states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu; a lot of inter-state migration keeps taking place in pursuit of jobs and education.

Being the neighbouring states, the impact of Tamil Cinema or rather Kamal Haasan in Kerala has a profound significance. There has been a noticeable trend with regard to tapping of nostalgia by incorporating old songs into the narrative (rather, commercial use). However, Director Chidambaram has notched up the inclusion by weaving Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan from Gunaa (1991) into the storyline. Manjummel Boys has paved the way of a new found appreciation of Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan written by Poet Vaali, I get the nostalgia but I’m awe-struck by its simplistic yet impactful infusion into the tender narrative.

Enna Kaayam Aana Podhum, Yen Maeni Thangi Kollum,
Undhan Maeni Shaangaadhu Senthaenae,
Enthan Kaadhal Ennavendru Sollaamal,
Aenga Eenga Azhugai Vanthathu,
Enthan Sogam Unnai Thaakkum,
Endrenumbothu Vandha Azhugai Nindrathu.

The wounds on my body will heal by themselves, my love!
My wound will heal itself, but you’re too tender for it, honey!
As I struggled to express my love, my eyes swelled up!
My tears stopped when I realised that my grief will upset you!

Subhash who has fallen into a tunnel like crevice transcends into a psychological trauma symbolising (and yearning of) a womb — a Freudian element. In an early sequence before their departure, Kuttan who promised Subhash’s mother of the safe return descends down the crevice to rescue. Amidst an emotional and physical turmoil, there is a moment of realisation, of selflessness and an ensemble understanding where love transcends personal pain for the sake of the other. This is when the song storms to an unparalleled height; a rollercoaster of emotions leaving with a wide smile as well as tears welling up. Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan which originally encapsulated the poetic depth in the realms of love, now has undertaken a whole new meaning.

Manjummel Boys is uplifted by its technical prowess especially Production Design by Ajayan Chalissery (Varathan, Trance) and Cinematography by Shyju Khalid (Virus, Ee.Ma.Yau), and Sound Design by Shijin Melvin Hutton (Ludo, Jagga Jasoos). They seamlessly weave an eerie atmospheric ambiance through every frame and soundscape, executing an almost imperceptible transition from the actual location to the meticulously crafted set. The attention to detail in maintaining the raw, natural aesthetic of the set was commendable, it stands in stark contrast to the overly polished sets often seen in mainstream Hindi cinema.

Cinematographer Shyju Khalid masterfully captures the rugged terrain, skillfully juxtaposing it against the characters’ facial expressions as they grapple with feelings of loss and hope. There was a notable intercut of young Subhash jumping into the water to his subsequent fall into the crevice — it left the mark like a literal jump-scare. Film Editor Vivek Harshan (Jigarthanda, Bheeshma Parvam) maintains a relentless momentum integrating the rhythm of tension. He cuts and navigates through the crevice, the challenging rescue, and the palpable intricacies of the characters enhancing the overall impact of the narrative.

Remember, the mundane conversation between Subhash and Driver Prasad? — “What is God?” — “God is… you know the light that shines from above?” — Subhash literally encounters a light from above after falling 120 ft down into a crevice. An old lady touches Subhash’s feet in reverence and exclaims, “…having seen death and returned alive is equal to God.” The local folklore about the Devil’s Kitchen where nobody returns alive is reborn and the story writes itself as contemporary folklore of resilience, disproving disbelief and/or affirming faith.

Manithar Unarnthu Kolla.
Ithu Manitha Kaadhal Alla.
Athaiyum Thaandi Punithamanathu.

This is not human love for mere mortals to understand.
It’s much beyond. Real divine.

In Manjummel Boys, there are wounds, physical as well as psychological; the resilience and hope rise far beyond mortal comprehension to overpower the negatives of the film and heal the soul.

© Ninad Kulkarni — March 2024 — This review may not be reproduced in its entirety without permission. A link to this URL, instead, would be appreciated.