Manjummel Boys Director Chidambaram Surprised by Film’s 200 Crore Box Office Success
The survival thriller “Manjummel Boys” has made history by becoming the first Malayalam film to surpass the 200 crore mark at the box office. Directed by Chidambaram S Poduval, the movie depicts a gripping tale of friendship amidst life’s chaos, inspired by real events and featuring stellar performances by Sobin Shahir, Ganapathi, Khalid Rahman, and Sreenath Bhasi in lead roles. With Mythri Movie Makers set to release the Indian blockbuster to Telugu audiences on April 6, director Chidambaram recently engaged with the media, sharing insights into the film’s unexpected success and its journey to the big screen.
When questioned about the film’s unprecedented success, Chidambaram expressed his surprise, stating, “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.”
Reflecting on the inception of “Manjummel Boys,” Chidambaram revealed, “After my first film, Jan.E. Man, was released in 2021, 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.”
Regarding his research process, Chidambaram affirmed, “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.”
Discussing the film’s production, Chidambaram elaborated, “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.”
Chidambaram also highlighted the use of a song from Kamal Haasan’s “Guna” as a tribute, stating, “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.”
Expressing gratitude for Mythri Movie Makers’ support, Chidambaram stated, “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.”
In anticipation of the Telugu release, Chidambaram conveyed his hopes for the film’s success, stating, “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.”