How did Manjummel Boys recreate the SHOCKING real-life story from Guna Caves? Find out

Malayalam cinema impresses with its innovative ideas. Read to find out how the Manjummel Boys recreated the Guna caves.

Updated on Feb 26, 2024  |  06:30 PM IST |  647.2K
Manjummel Boys recreate the SHOCKING real-life story from Guna Caves
SHOCKING true story behind the film Manjummel Boys (PC: Twitter)

Manjummel Boys starring Soubin Shahir in the lead role, is cooking up a storm in theatres right now. The Malayalam film has opened to mighty impressive numbers, with these numbers only growing by the minute.

A valid doubt in everyone’s mind after watching Manjummel Boys is how the team managed to pull off the entire portion in the Guna caves. In an interview with Onmanorama, Manjummel Boys' production designer Ajayan Chalissery revealed that it was not an easy task to recreate the atmosphere of the Guna caves. The challenge in front of them was to make the caves look realistic while also making sure that the budget was kept in check.

How did they recreate the Guna caves in Manjummel Boys?

While speaking about the behind-the-scenes, Ajayan revealed that a replica of the Guna caves was recreated in a godown in Perumbavoor. As the actual cave is a highly restricted area, the team was only allowed to visit the place for reference. Speaking about the same, he mentioned that they were only allowed to go down 80 feet deep, with which they had to map the terrain and texture of the cave.

After noting down the details, the team began constructing the cave by using fiber sourced from various parts of Kodaikanal. According to Ajayan, it took nearly 3 months to build the entire set. 

The shocking real-life story behind Manjummel Boys

The film, which has been written and directed by Chidambaram is receiving widespread appreciation for its gripping, nail-biting narration. But did you know that Manjummel Boys is actually based on a real-life incident that occurred in Guna caves in Kodaikanal? 

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As beautiful and intricate as the Guna Cave is, it is also an extremely dangerous cave known for its irregular structure and slippery terrain. The caves are located nearly 2230 meters above sea level, with many pits and holes.

As shown in the film, a group of friends from Manjummel, Kochi, decide to go on a vacation to Kodaikanal, where they visit the iconic Guna cave. During their visit, one of their friends falls into a steep pit, causing panic and chaos.

How Siju David, one of the Manjummel Boys risks his life and goes down into the pit to save his friend’s life is the terrifying and powerful tale of Manjummel Boys. Siju was also awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padhak Medal for his brave efforts.

What is the connection between Kamal Haasan’s Guna and Manjummel Boys?

To put things into context, the Guna caves as it is known today, was formerly known as the Devil’s Kitchen, a name that is as mysterious as the place itself. After the release of Kamal Haasan’s Gunaa movie, the cave was renamed ‘Guna Cave’ owing to the shooting of the song Kanmani Anbodu from Gunaa. 

There are also quite a few references to the song Kanmani Anbodu in Manjummel Boys, with one particular reference generating quite applause from the audience.

Everything else you need to know about Manjummel Boys

Manjummel Boys is a Malayalam language survival thriller film starring Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Khalid Rahman, Jean Paul Lal, and many others in key roles. The film has been written and directed by Chidambaram S, and produced by Parava Films in association with Sree Gokulam Cinemas. Sushin Shyam has composed the music for the film, while Shyju Khalid handled the camera work in the movie.

ALSO READ: BUZZ: Kamal Haasan starrer Indian 2 to get a May 2024 release?

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About The Author

A wannabe programmer, with a full-time passion for cinema, Pavaman writes for breakfast, reads for lunch and watches a

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Credits: Onmanorama
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