User:DinSolo/Charlie

Plot

In 2006, a group of friends from an arts club in Kochi embarks on a trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. During their exploration of Kodaikanal, they learn about Guna Caves, a location featured in the film Gunaa, which was off-limits to the public. Despite warnings from a tourist guide named Dominic, the friends decide to venture into the restricted areas of the caves.

During their exploration, one of the friends, Subhash, accidentally falls into a covered hole in the ground. Initially mistaken for a prank, Subhash fails to respond to calls from his friends, leading to panic among the group. While some rushed to seek help from locals and authorities, others remained behind, hoping for a response from Subhash.

Upon informing the locals of the accident, the friends discovers the grim history of the area, where numerous individuals had fallen into the pit without any successful rescues. Despite their efforts to seek assistance, they were met with suspicion and hostility from the authorities, who accuses them of wrongdoing.

Eventually, with persuasion and fear of public backlash, a police officer agrees to accompany them to the cave. Despite initial skepticism about Subhash's survival, the group persisted in their rescue efforts upon hearing his cries for help. Despite challenges, including a shortage of rope and concerns about safety, one friend, Siju David, bravely descendes into the pit and successfully rescues Subhash.

After receiving medical treatment, Subhash's condition improves, although he suffers trauma from the incident. To protect Subhash and avoid unwanted attention, the group decides to keep the true nature of the accident secret, claiming that Subhash had fallen at a waterfall. However, news of Siju's heroic act eventually surfaces, leading to recognition and applause for his bravery. Two years later, Siju is honored with a medal for his actions, commemorated alongside the real-life Manjummel Boys in post-credits scenes.

Cast

• Soubin Shahir as Siju David aka "Kuttan"
• Sreenath Bhasi as Subhash

According to Sreenath Bhasi, his role served as a career revival, as he was experiencing a difficult period, having been removed from several roles. In preparation for his role, Bhasi met with his character Subash and was advised to avoid delving too deeply into the actual incidents related to his role as it could potentially cause nightmares. As Bhasi's role was physically and emotionally demanding, he faced numerous challenges during filming. However, the commitment and supportiveness of the film crew aided him in portraying the character effectively.

• Balu Varghese as Sixon
• Ganapathi as Krishnakumar aka "Kannan"
• Lal Jr. as Siju
• Deepak Parambol as Sudhi
• Abhiram Radhakrishnan as Anil
• Arun Kurian as Sujith
• Chandu Salimkumar as Abhilash
• Vishnu Reghu as Jinson
• Khalid Rahman as Prasad
• Shebin Benson as Mejo
• George Maryan as Arumugam, a local seller
• Kathiresan as Head constable
• Ramachandran Durairaj as Dominic, a local guide
• Vijay Gaura as Rathnavel, a local tourist photographer
• Vijay Muthu as Sub-Inspector
• Karthika Vellathery as Bride
• Mani as Forest range officer
• Sasikumar as Police officer
• Viji as Valli, the tea stall lady

Production

Development

The Manjummel Boys incident at Guna Caves was documented a month after its occurrence, prompting people to urge Kuttan and Subhash to approach producers for a film adaptation. Three producers approached Kuttan and Subhash, but the project didn’t come to fruition. Prior to the release of Jan. E. Man, director Chidambaram and producer Shawn Anthony approached Kuttan and Subhash to discuss filming the incident. Ganapathy stated that the incident going largely unnoticed, along with the bravery displayed by the Manjummel Boys, were the primary factors that motivated Shawn and Soubin Shahir to produce the film. Chidambaram acquired a documentary of the incident and commenced writing the script. He asserted that 95% of the story remained faithful to the original incident, with the remaining 5% being dramatized. It took him a year to complete the story and screenplay due to the challenge of crafting a narrative around real events as he felt all 11 men involved had different experiences, which needed to be incorporated into the narrative. The song Kanmani Anbodu from Gunaa served as a major inspiration for the film, as it was the catalysts for the entire incident. From the inception of the film's development, Chidambaram emphasized the importance of incorporating the song into the film, and it was pre-planned that the song would play during the climax of the film. For almost two years, the film's crew visited the homes of the Manjummel Boys to study aspect of their lives including their mannerisms and the importance of their friendship. Old photos of the Manjummel Boys were used to design the costumes to ensure authenticity and match the fashion of that time. The title "Manjummel Boys" was announced in January 2023.