2024, Theatrical Release, 8.7/10 IMDB, Directed by Chidambaram S Poduval
The vision of capturing ‘divinity in friendship’ in this ‘commercial’ survival drama, is surpassed sadly by the passionate fan base of the 1991 cult Tamil movie, Gunaa. The fans enjoy milking ‘recognition’ long over due, for the then underrated masterpiece of actor Kamal Haasan. The movie is an entertainer but the nostalgia mar it’s true spirit and mute talents, as emotions become manipulated.
An opening credit about the 2006 true incident that the movie is based on and an animated ode to ‘Gunaa’, introduces an inquisitive premise. Associating themselves with the name of their home town, a group of boys are shown to cause nuisance and embarrassment at a private event. After losing a tug-of-war match with a rival group (cameo played by the real Manjummel boys) and induced by a brief moment of envy looking at the rival group’s vacation photos, the group sets off for a trip to the hills of Kodaikannal in a haste. Little do we as audience know, that their experience with the rope is going to give them an edge in saving their trapped friend, during their upcoming expedition.
The screenplay doesn’t spend much time in throwing light on the bond that the boys share, except for the little backdrop of Shubhas’s family when Siju picks him for the trip. The director chooses to do away with much melodrama and stacks it for jump cuts in the later half of the flick. At Gunaa Caves, Shubhas slips inside a hole in a ‘flick’, following the rushing momentum of the menacing boys, trespassing the restricted area. The fall was almost like he was sucked in or disappeared in thin air.
The plot intensifies as the camera stalls zooming in on the insides of the cave, parallel to the delay in rescue, owing to border polity and inattentive police personnel. The camera eventually does zoom in at the reverberation of Shubhas’s groans. The terrifying blood soaked visuals on a slippery rounded rock, leaves one spine-chilled, as it looks he could slip further down any moment. When the fire fighters turn incompetent, the screenplay paves way for the ‘tug-of-war’ boys to shine as heroes. Siju played by Soubin Shahir, volunteers to be lowered into the cave to save his friend Shubhash played by Sreenath Bhasi.
The director’s inter cuts of the childhood days of the group of boys, achieves a beautiful composite scene, and is tactfully used to imply the thought process of both the survivor and the saviour. The isolation in the dark cave, triggers Shubashs’s childhood fears and It aligns promptly in the narration, adding layers to the story. The standard story-telling technique, keeps alive the urge for the duo’s safety. However, establishment of their innocent childhood bonds doesn’t suffice. To justify the crossing of restricted barricades despite warnings from the local guide, needed something more complex than conquering childhood fears of the intoxicated bunch maybe?
A friend in the gang of nine, is distantly familiar, mentally unstable and his features vaguely reminding Kamal Haasan’s. When the duo, Siju and Shubhas are pulled up together and they wouldn’t come up any further, we get a prologue to the most nostalgic moment of the movie. The ‘Gunaa look-alike’ friend is the one who suggests from atop that the rope is stuck in the cave’s groove and asks them to lower the rope and pull it back again. The dramatic turn of the exciting event is ‘intended’ to appeal to the emotions of the viewers, as the director chooses to reinvigorate the 1991 movie.
And then comes the ‘most awaited’ sequence, the duo successfully being pulled out and the score of ‘Kanmani’ song in maestro Illayaraja’s music from Gunaa, plays in the background. It was magical indeed, but I was wondering if it would have been organic, had it not been mercilessly pirated and thrust down by social media abusers in the name of celebration. Nostalgia mongers turned promoters, did help the makers achieve the ‘magic’ numbers, but did they do it at the cost of ‘selling the soul’ of the movie. Selling the soul of which of the two movies, is yet another debate.
I was contemplating whether the placing of the song could have been done any differently, like a mobile phone ringtone or a distant radio. What could have been more natural, rather seemed ‘schemed’. The frenzy crowd in the theater seems to think otherwise though. Did ‘Gunaa’ steal the thunder of Manjummel Boys, I was puzzled.
People’s choices evolve drastically but for a movie to be celebrated after three decades is phenomenal. It is not new that certain work of art flops like Gunaa did, but goes on to become a cult movie. But in Manjummel Boys, by celebrating the cult, both the makers and the viewers didn’t let the movie shine on it’s own grounds and rather let it be hyped for the elements that shouldn’t have been it’s primal focus.
The survivor shifted back to Kerala, after minimal first aid, cramped in the same old vehicle with his friends, wiped away the speculation of the gravely critical injuries of Subhash. The save was noble and heroic, but I doubt if the gratification was similar to that of watching the movie ‘Aram’. Had the movie ended on a regret note from the boys for risking exploration in restricted areas, putting themselves in danger, would it have been any different? But that is how accidents happen, don’t they, I ask myself, especially the fall was unfortunate.
The survival drama did stay true to the genre and to the cult followers of ‘Gunaa’. If the director attempted to bring out the divinity in their friendship like that of the Gunaa’s with Abirami, then, such divine reiteration should have been backed up by the character arcs of Manjummel boys as well?
Wish the ‘God theory’ of Shubash’s with the driver where they define God as ‘The light that shines from above’, had extended a little longer. A few more layers to establish the traits of the lead characters would have done good to the screenplay. Malayankunju, a survival drama did that beautifully. Even though this is based on a real story, the makers could have woven a few more sequences in the name of creative liberty, which might have brought us closer to them. Also, wonder if the film was mutilated off a few essential sequences, for instance I was waiting if there was any significance to the mention of Shubhash’s belt which he took it from his brother without his consent. Through out the rescue mission my eyes were zooming in on his belt, thinking if it might play a crucial role in lifting him.
The boys who were considered a nuisance, proves people around wrong, by going to extremes to save their fellow friend. Soubin Shahir’s humble underplay and Sreenath Bashi’s helpless wails does linger long after one leaves the theater, and of course ‘Kanmani’ song is playing in the back ground as well. A grand pay off for a perfect set up indeed.