PremiumManjummel Boys – Know how a trip to Guna Caves altered the lives of eleven friends forever
Manjummel Boys, starring Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi and Balu Varghese, drew in the audience with its heartwarming tale of friendship and selfless affection.
Last Updated: 08.19 PM, Mar 04, 2024
Chidambaram’s latest directorial, Manjummel Boys, is receiving positive reviews from audiences all around Kerala and the nation. The survival thriller is doing well at the box office and has struck a chord with viewers because of its poignant moments and distinctive filmmaking. The film gained quick momentum in theatres, becoming the first Malayalam blockbuster of 2024.
In addition to being a gripping survival thriller, Manjummel Boys drew in the audience with its heartwarming tale of friendship and selfless affection. The fact that the film is based on a true story adds to its allure and keeps audiences on the edge of their seats. However, what precisely occurred in 2006 with the actual victims? This is a quick look at how a trip to Kodaikanal gave a group of friends the scariest experience of their lives and how they overcame it together. (PS: Spoilers Ahead)
Who are the real-life Manjummel Boys?
The primary victims of this incident, which happened in 2006, are 11 youngsters from the small Kochi town of Manjummel. They all came from low-income backgrounds and took jobs in their locality. They have been friends since their childhood, and they are active members of a club in their area.
What happened at Guna Caves?
On September 3, 2006, eleven friends—Krishnakumar, Siju David, Subhash Chandran, Shibu, Anil Joseph, Jinson, Sujith, Sixen, Abhilash, and Sudheesh—as well as Prasad, Sudheesh's close friend and a driver—travelled from Manjummel to Kodaikanal for a fun getaway. They arrived early on September 4 and spent their time touring a few of the area's well-known tourist attractions. By 2 pm, they had gone to the renowned Guna Caves.
An adrenaline rush causes them to attempt to cross the restricted area of this location. To the utter dismay of others, Subhash falls into a deep pit while they are exploring the cave. For hours, they frantically called his name aloud in the hopes that he would respond.
They began praying to God for a miracle together, and after several hours, they began to hear from him. When the police, fire force, and locals arrived, they were too afraid to go down into the abyss for more than an hour. At that moment, Siju David—also known as Kuttan—came forward to risk everything in order to go over 85 feet down and save Subhash.
Subhash says the near-death experience was frightening
Subhash, who is the only victim to have been saved from the Devil's Kitchen or the Guna Caves, is still traumatised by the horrific event that occurred 17 years ago. He claimed in an interview with Club FM that he had no idea how he fell into the pit and that the darkness prevented him from seeing anything when he opened his eyes. He also mentioned that he could hear bat noises coming from within the cave. It felt as though I had entered a freezer. My entire body hurt from the injuries, so I was unable to move," he said.
Who played the Manjummel boys in the film?
While Soubin Shahir and Sreenath Bhasi played Siju David and Subhash, respectively, Balu Varghese appeared as Sixen. Deepak Parambol as Sudheesh, Ganapathi S. Poduval as Krishnakumar (Kannan), Lal Jr as Shibu, Chandu Salimkumar as Abhilash, Khalid Rahman as Prasad, Abhiram Radhakrishnan as Anil, Arun Kurian as Sujith, and Vishnu Reghu as Shebin also delivered convincing performances.