Manjummel Boys: An Engaging, Riveting Ode To Bromance (image:instagram.com/soubinshahir)
Manjummel Boys is engaging, a significant factor that makes a survival thriller sell to an audience. The story is known: a bunch of friends trip to Kodaikanal”s Guna Cave takes an unexpected turn and then becomes a life-dependent survival mission and a tale of the human spirit. It is a brilliant homage to Kamal Haasan”s Gunaa, and through the movie, the song “Kanmani Anbodu” renders a new adage of bromance to cherish. The technical side did the heavy lifting in the movie, where the Guna Caves, also known as Devil’s Kitchen Caves, stood in all their majesty and indomitable in the opposite.
“Manithar Unarndhukolla Ithu Manitha Kadhal Alla, Athaiyum Thandi Punithamanathu,” (For a human to comprehend, this is not human love; it is beyond and more holy), Kamal Haasan“s character sings to the heroine (Roshini) in Gunaa. There is a particular portion of the movie where the song is played, and the nostalgic rendition is now going to resonate on a different level.
The movie is set in the year 2006. A team of boys in Manjummel takes a trip to Kodaikanal, and a visit to Guna Caves was their last-minute plan. The early youths, with all their naivety and haughtiness of the age, are seen in their attitudes, ways of behaving, and impulsive decisions. Their decision to enter the restricted area of Guna Caves was also driven by impulsivity and youthful recklessness. Though only one character got stuck in the cave, the boys are not the same after the mishap happened to their friend. The incident humbles them.
Vadam Vali (Tug of War), a sport also known as rope pulling, plays a significant motif in the movie. It is also a sport that exemplifies fortitude, team spirit, and requires single vision in galore. Also, it is a sport in its rawness, and its physical potential celebrates male friendship. During the beginning of the movie, the boys take part in impromptu vadam vali with their rival gang out of a whim but face defeat. But, in the crucial part of a movie, the then-defeated gang is pulling their best efforts, gathering their strength, and attaining a victory of a lifetime.
The boys find hope in the uncertainty, despair, and loss. Subash is trapped in the pit; everyone around him says there is no hope. But the boys come together and venture to unattainable lengths to save their friend. In a way, the defiance of the early youth worked in their favour in the emotionally taxing circumstances. The director attempts to connect Subash”s fall to his childhood life episodes—who Subash was and how boys” friendships developed in their early years.
Shyju Khalidh”s cinematography demands greater appreciation; whether it be the aerial shots showing their travel or capturing the alluring and enchanting caves, the visuals elevate the experience. Similarly, the music and background score by Sushin Syam and the art department in the movie deserve credit. The performances of the actors are attuned, signalling a good team effort.
Director, Writer – Chidambaram
Cast: Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathy, Jean Paul Lal
