‘Manjummel Boys’ director talks about film’s complex characters, feminist undertones

Mumbai, March 18 (IANS) Filmmaker Chidambaram, who is known for ‘Manjummel Boys’, has said that his film builds on the theme of power of women. The director said that the only sane people in the film are women, while the men are a little crazy.

‘Manjummel Boys’, which boasts of raw storytelling and immersive visual style, is a survival thriller inspired by real events. The film explores the bond between friends in the face of adversity, earning widespread acclaim for its authenticity and depth.

The film has been nominated in Critics' Choice Awards 2025 in five major categories of Best Director, Best Writing, Best Film, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Talking about the film, Chidambaram said, “I have noticed a lot of boys like that in real life and wanted to portray that on screen. This allowed me to showcase a strong character arc—starting with them being trashy and loud, but when the moment demands, humanity prevails.”

He further described Manjummel Boys as a deeply feminist film, stating, “The film ends with a mother’s emotion. The only sane people in the film are the women, while all the men are a little crazy”.

Speaking on the film’s visual storytelling, he said, “The red light denotes the Devil’s Kitchen, it’s the color of the flames reflecting on the cave walls. No matter the genre, sci-fi, action, war, it always comes down to a battle of minds. If you grasp that, any story can be told. I don’t like excessive drama; I tend to shy away from it, which is why I cut off certain moments. But sometimes, I let it stay, depending on what resonates with the audience.”

The Critics' Choice Awards 2025 are presented by GroupM Motion Entertainment and the Film Critics Guild. The award ceremony will be held on March 25.

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