Manjummel Boys Director at IFFI: 'Guna cave reeks of death; it's scary...' | WATCH

At the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, director Chidambaram Poduval shared intriguing insights about his critically acclaimed film Manjummel Boys. In a press conference, the director expressed his excitement about being part of such a prestigious event.

“This is my first IFFI, and I’ve come with my own film. I’m very happy about that,” he said.

He also shared how festivals like IFFI offer opportunities for filmamakers to explore a variety of movies, artistic approaches and get inspirations.

The mysterious cave: A star of its own 

Poduval revealed how the cave, referred to as "Devil’s Kitchen" and famously featured in Kamal Haasan’s film Gunaa, is a pivotal character in Manjummel Boys. He said that the ancient cave plays an equally important role alongside the main characters, Subash and Kuttan (Siju).  

“I wanted the audience to resonate with the cave while watching the movie. I even wanted to translate the smell of the cave to them,” the director explained.  

Recreating the cave for the film was no easy feat. Poduval described it as a place that “smells of death.” The cave’s eerie atmosphere comes from the slow decay of matter, which releases methane gas.

“It’s scary and dangerous,” he admitted.  

He also shared his own surreal experiences with the cave.

“Every time you go back, it’s different. The first time I visited, it was sunny and pleasant, but during my next visit it became dark, dingy, and rainy. Bats were flying, they were frightening, and I even found monkey skulls. You hear scary sounds. The cave is ancient and true, we have absolutely no business there,” he said.  

Interestingly, both Poduval and actor Kamal Haasan kept skulls from the cave. The director shared that the monkey skulls were also recreated for the film.  

Subash’s trauma: A story of survival  

Director Chidambaram Poduval said that for the movie, he had interviewd every person separately to get individual account of the incident and their perspectives. He revealed that interviewing Subash for the movie was a deeply emotional experience.  

“Talking to Subash was tough. He doesn’t remember anything about the incident. The moment he fell, he lost consciousness. He woke up 45 minutes later and had completely forgotten everything. He didn’t even remember going to Kodaikanal,” the director shared.  

The trauma had deeply affected Subash, and his brain had erased the painful memory.

“Our brain deletes trauma. His mind reverted to his childhood.  i could feel the fear in his eyes. For some reason, the group lied about the story when they returned back to Kerala. He didn’t receive the medical help he  absolutely needed at the moment to process the trauma,” Poduval added.   

A success born at the right time  

Reflecting on the success of Manjummel Boys, Poduval attributed its impact to perfect timing.

“There were others who wanted to make a movie based on this story before me but couldn’t for various reasons. I decided to do this at the right time, as the industry was expanding and the rise of OTT platforms helped me,” he said.  

Manjummel Boys

The film is a gripping rescue drama inspired by a real-life incident involving 11 members of a local club in Manjummel, a village near Kochi. Their trip to Kodaikanal takes a harrowing turn when one of their friends, Subash, falls into a deep pit.

The plot revolves around their attempts to rescue him, showcasing themes of friendship, courage, and perseverance.