The cast and crew of ‘Manjummel Boys’ meeting the legendary Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan and director Santhanabharathi have created a huge sensation in the film industry. The Malayalam-language survival thriller has become a massive hit not only in Kerala but also in Tamil Nadu.
‘Manjummel Boys’ captures the harrowing experience of friends facing a life-or-death situation at the Guna Caves (also known as Devil’s Kitchen) in Kodaikanal, Inspired by a true incident that occurred in 2006 the screenplay captures a group of friends whose vacation takes a dangerous turn when one of them gets trapped inside the treacherous cave, believed to be impossible to escape. Fueled by courage and camaraderie, the remaining friends embark on a desperate rescue mission against all odds.
A big highlight of ‘Manjummel Boys’ is that it pays rich tribute to Ulaganayagan Kamal Haasan’s ‘Guna’ directed by Santhanabharathi which was released in 1991. The famous song ‘Kanmani Anbodu’ features prominently in the story and serves as plot device in the new movie. Chidambaram the director has shared in several interviews that Kamal’s movies such as ‘Virumandi’ inspired him to enter the film industry. He also shared his awe of Kamal shooting at the dangerous locations when no modern equipment were available.
It came as a huge bonus for the cast and crew of ‘Manjummel Boys’ after Kamal Haasan invited them to his office in Alwarpet and congratulated them on the success of the survival film. ‘Guna’ director Santhanabharathi was also present making the moment more special for most of the cast and crew who were at the meeting. Chidambaram later told newspersons that his film has now reached its true climax after being acknowledged by the master himself.
Kamal Haasan is currently shooting for Mani Ratnam’s ‘Thug Life’ and also the remaining portions of ‘Indian 2’. He will later complete his portions in the pan Indian fantasy extravaganza ‘Kalki 2898’ costarring Amitabh Bachchan, Prabhas and Deepika Padukone.
