The prolific Priyadarshan, a pioneer in Malayalam cinema feels cinema in Kerala has come of age. “It’s a nice rescue thriller ,shot as good and convincing as any international attempt , and that too on a shoestring budget. And well-played on today’s young emotions of lower middleclass of Kerala.I have been saying this all along: in Kerala we make the best films in India. Now the rest of the world is also saying the same, thanks to a film like Manjummel Boys.”
Acclaimed actress Saiyami Kher is another fan of Manjummel Boys. “I loved the film! The films they make in Kerala are so much more superior and original and fresh. Not trying to follow any formulas. Very refreshing.”
From the time it was released in movie theatres in Kerala and across India on 22 February , director Chidambaram’s Manjummel Boys has gone from strength to strength, emerging as the most successful Malayalam film of all times. It became the first Malayalam film to earn 200 crore rupees, and the highest grossing Malayalam film ever, surpassing the record set by Jude Anthany Joseph’s 2018.
Now Manjummel Boys has been streaming on Disney+Hotstar since May 5, and director Chidambaram is overwhelmed by the response. “There was a whole large section of audience worldwide which had not seen Manjummel Boys. More and more people are discovering the film on OTT, and the kind of calls and messages I am getting outnumber even the response I got when the film released in theatres in February.”