Survival thriller Manjummel Boys has become the first Malayalam film to have collected over 200 crore gross at the box office. The movie depicts a tale of friendship amidst the chaos of life, inspired by real events and filled with quality performances. Chidambaram S Poduval directed this film, with Sobin Shahir, Ganapathi, Khalid Rahman, and Sreenath Bhasi in the lead roles. PAN India production house Mythri Movie Makers is bringing this Indian box office sensation to Telugu audiences. Ahead of the release on April 6, director Chidambaram interacted with the media, and here is the transcript.
Did you expect the film to make 200 crores?
No, we didn’t. We made a good content-oriented film and believed in it completely. We never thought Manjummel Boys would collect 200 crores. I need to clarify one thing. We didn’t do this film for collections. Neither the producers, the cinematographer, nor the music composer thought about the collections.
When did you get the idea of making Manjummel Boys?
My first film, Jan.E. Man, was released in 2021. After that, I learned about the incident that happened to a few friends from Kerala who went to Guna Caves. Their stories and friendship excited me. Since then, I have been working on the project.
Did you personally meet Manjummel Boys? What is the kind of research you did?
Yes, I met them. They shared their life experiences. I understood that their story has the required material to make a film. I was very sure that this story must be told to the audience. All the friends were very excited when I approached them.
The film was shot both in real locations and on sets. Could you tell us about the making process?
The scenes that required authenticity, like the road trip and cave scenes, were shot in real locations. We built sets for scenes that needed to be shot inside the cave. The set work took about four months. The shooting was relatively easy and we enjoyed like a family during the whole process.
You used a song from Guna as a tribute to Kamal Haasan. When you decided to make the film, did you consider using that song?
When we think of Guna Caves, the first thing that comes to our mind is the song from Kamal Haasan’s Sir Guna movie. It also sets the tone for a friendship story, and that’s why we used it. We met Kamal sir and showed him the film. He liked Manjummel Boys, which was nothing short of receiving a big award.
PAN India production house Mythri Movie Makers is releasing ‘Manjummel Boys’ in Telugu. Could you tell us about their support?
Mythri Movie Makers is equally popular in Malayalam. They produced the blockbuster Pushpa. I interacted with Mythri Ravi sir, and I am very happy and proud that our film will be released through their banner. Our movie got great support, and I couldn’t have asked for more.
The film releasing in Telugu on April 6. What would you like to say to Telugu audiences?
Our Malayali people watch a lot of Telugu films, and we love them. Allu Arjun has a huge fanbase in Kerala. I hope Manjummel Boys repeats the magic in Telugu as well. I am very confident Telugu audiences will enjoy the film.