Manjummel Boys, a 2024 Indian Malayalam language survival thriller movie written and directed by Chidambaram, and produced by Parava Movies. The film stars a ensemble cast, which has Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr., Deepak Parambol, Abhiram Radhakrishnan, Arun Kurian, Khalid Rahman, Chandu Salimkumar, Shebin Benson, and Vishnu Reghu. The movie is based on a real occurrence from 2006, the film shows a bunch of friends from a little town called Manjummel close to Kochi, who choose to have an outing in Kodaikanal.
The malayalam film Manjummel Boys, hit the theatres on 22nd February 2024 in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and was loved by the audience as well as the critics. It is the first malayalam movie to cross ₹200 crore collection, also breaking a few box-office records in the process, getting to be the highest grossing Malayalam movie ever, outperforming the record set by 2018 malayalam movie, as well as the third highest grossing Indian film of 2024. The Telugu dubbed adaptation of Manjummel Boys is set to release on 6 April 2024.
In 2006, a group of friends from an arts club in Kochi take off on a trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. They enjoy exploring Kodaikanal and before returning home, one of the friends tells around Guna Caves, a location where the movie Gunaa was shot. Intoxicated, high and cheerful, the buddies reach Guna Caves and choose to investigate the zones of the caves which are closed to public by themselves, in spite of a caution from Dominic, a local guide. In spite of the fact that there are signs of a sneaking danger, the buddies go ahead. Upon coming to a point, some of them choose to write down their group title “Manjummel Boys” on the rocks inside the cave.
After writing it on the wall, the friends call out to show the remaining folks who are looking at the other sides to capture a picture and they all regroup. Subhash, one among the group, falls into a covered gap within the ground while proceeding towards them. At first everybody expects he is pranking them, but as he does not react after calling out to him a few times, they all start to freeze. After the sudden shock, some of them run back to get assistance and others remain back and keep calling out to him in belief that he would react. They apprise the local people of the happening and request assistance, who in turn propose going to police station and the forest guard.
The local people explain to them that the particular range was off-limit to individuals for a reason, so far 13 people have fallen into that pit and none were ever found, dead or alive. They specify that foreigners had called Guna caves as The Devil’s kitchen for a reason which this hole is over 900 feet long. Frightened some more, the buddies reach the police station, where they are beaten and charged with entering a restricted region. They are blamed of killing their friend and giving untrue complaints and no assistance is offered.
Finally after being convinced, and dreading backfire from the neighborhood people for not offering assistance, one of the police officers agrees to go with them to the cave. On the way, he advises them that the individual who fell into it last time was the former Central Minister’s nephew around ten years ago and all the powers had gotten together to get him out, but no one had been able to. The officer after reviewing the hole suggests that they leave Subhash as he is likely to be dead by now, but the buddies are resolute about rescuing him. But before long one of the boys hear Subhash’s voice, lets the others know that he is not dead and the police are also convinced to get involved in and rescue him. They attempt putting a rope down the hole, for Subhash to hold, but are doubtful that he may not be in a position to hold on to the rope after a huge drop.
The fire force and more police officers are called into the scene, but they are afraid to go in the hole to extract Subhash. Seeing this, one of the friends, Siju David (Soubin Shahir) chooses to go down. The police officers are at first hesitant, but at last concur after being persuaded by the buddies and the locals. Siju is brought down into the hole, but along the way the rope with which Siju is brought down runs out, and police are tensed that its not safe to go any lower as there may well be low oxygen levels, and they are not willing to hazard Siju’s life as well. But Siju says he can hear Subash’s voice clearly and can also see him so he can’t let be be down there. The police organize for more rope and reel Siju down more and finally Siju is able to see Subash lying on a edge covered in blood and sloppy water because it had rained before.
Siju is able to rescue Subhash and the rest of the buddies pull them up together effectively. After accepting first aid from the closest clinic, they take Subash to the hospital in their hometown, where Subash is treated comprehensively. They choose not to tell anybody of the occurrence and tell Subash’s family that he fell in a waterfall. Subash endures injury from the drop and isn’t able to sleep at first, but gradually begins recouping after going to trauma therapy. Afterward, the news that Siju saved Subhash comes out from an individual who went to Tamil Nadu and Siju is commended for his bravery. After two years he is awarded a medal which is shown beside the photographs and story of the genuine manjummel boys in post credits. The digital streaming rights are with Disney+ Hotstar and satellite rights were acquired by Asianet.