Alternate Ending: Manjummel Boys

Manjummel Boys: The 2024 critically acclaimed Malayalam movie, directed by Mr. Chidambaram S. Poduval, is inspired by a true incident from 2006. It follows a group of friends from Manjummel, a small town near Kochi, who embark on a vacation to Kodaikanal. During their trip, one of the friends, Subhash, gets trapped in the Guna Caves, a restricted area. The film vividly depicts their desperate rescue efforts, battling uncooperative authorities and natural obstacles along the way.

MY REVIEW

The stunning visuals, exemplary direction, and mind-blowing music left me in awe. I have immense respect for lyricist Vinayak Sasikumar, who encapsulated the entire story’s essence in a single song. The production design and the massive effort put into set building were impressive. Kudos to Ajayan Chalissery for the great artwork. The movie effectively teaches irresponsible tourists to behave respectfully in unfamiliar territories. Additionally, it provides a brief yet insightful lesson on the depth of cave systems in mountains. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the performances throughout the film’s runtime. I wish I had the chance to watch it in a theater.

ABOUT MYSELF

Unlike a typical movie enthusiast, I am deeply passionate about good storytelling. No matter how visually stunning or well-directed a film is, a poor story can ruin the experience for me. I prefer to know in advance whether a story is fiction or non-fiction so I can mentally prepare myself. When a filmmaker promises a fictional story but delivers something closer to reality, I feel genuinely disappointed. To cope with this, I often imagine alternative endings after watching such movies. In the case of Manjummel Boys, if I had known beforehand that the movie was actually non-fiction, dramatically portrayed by actors, I would have been better prepared. That was my mistake. However, I still find it unbearable to see characters with unresolved endings in a fictional story. I don’t mean to criticize the filmmakers who have inspired me to express myself creatively. Keeping that perspective in mind, I am grateful to them.

SUMMARY OF THE MOVIE (SPOILER ALERT)

BEGINNING: The story begins at a wedding where the drunk Manjummel boys lose a tug of war game. This introduces our heroes, a group of underdogs planning a trip to Kodaikanal. Kuttan, the group’s leader and most respected member, plans to get married after the trip. Subash, the second lead, initially decides not to go due to personal reasons. However, when another member drops out last minute, the group convinces Subash to join, showing he is well-liked. Subash, who struggles with his faith, reluctantly agrees. In Kodaikanal, the group behaves badly, drinking, fighting, vomiting, shouting, and littering. Their unruly behavior continues as they explore the Guna caves, ignoring rules and entering restricted areas. Unaware of the dangers, they ignore the fact that many people have accidentally fallen into these caves and died. During their reckless exploration, Subash accidentally falls into a pit, sending the entire group into shock.

MIDDLE: The group quickly realizes they can’t handle the scary situation and ask the government for help to rescue their friend. Locals initially tell them to leave quietly, saying the hole is the mouth of Satan and anyone who falls in won’t come back. Ignoring this, the friends go to the police. The Tamil Nadu police inspector suspects them of making up the story to cover up a murder. Heavy rain makes the cave slippery. The police arrive and hear Subash’s cries. Firefighters come to help but are hesitant because they don’t know the cave’s layout or depth. Kuttan volunteers to go in, despite the officers’ concerns. He is tied to a rope and lowered into the cave. After a tense search, Kuttan finds Subash and ties him to himself. However, the firefighters alone can’t pull them up, so the friends join in. They all work together in a desperate tug-of-war to save Subash and Kuttan.

ENDING: After Subash is rescued, an old grandmother explains to him that those who face death and return are like God. The group takes Subash to the hospital for first aid. The cops let them go home without filing a case since it falls under the forest department. They all return home safely. Subash stays in the hospital for further check-ups and medical care. His family isn’t told exactly where he fell. The group goes back to their regular lives as Subash slowly recovers in the hospital. Kuttan’s marriage is arranged. Subash is mentally affected by his time in the cave, suffering from nightmares and sleeplessness. The entire town learns about the incident, and Subash’s mother eventually finds out how Kuttan saved her son from the Devil’s Kitchen. She thanks Kuttan for his bravery and apologizes for scolding him earlier. The forest officials permanently seal the hole in the Guna cave. The real pictures of the Manjummel boys are shared.

ALTERNATE ENDING

The group returns home safely, and Subash is admitted to the hospital for further check-ups. His family is informed of the truth about the situation because he requires special attention under the circumstances. While Subash slowly recovers in the hospital, the rest of the group struggles to return to their regular lives, suffering from nightmares and sleeplessness. Surprisingly, Subash makes an excellent recovery and overcomes some of his earlier inhibitions. It is revealed that he used to be quite talented and well-read but had gone down the wrong path due to drug abuse. (It was shown in the beginning of the movie that he sits at home taking drugs instead of going to work.) Now, after the near-death incident at Kodaikanal, he refrains from using drugs when he returns home. He begins changing his life in a positive way, which surprises his mother, who did not think much of him at the beginning of the story.

Kuttan’s marriage is finally arranged, and the entire town sees him as a savior. However, Kuttan himself does not feel like a savior; he believes he is responsible for dragging Subash to that vacation and causing the incident. The whole group thinks that if they are having nightmares, Subash must be going through hell, so they avoid meeting him again. At the marriage ceremony, the whole group is together again, except for Subash. None of the friends drink or dance like before, nor do they communicate properly with one another, still haunted by their memories of what happened in Kodaikanal. Kuttan reveals to the gang that he is unable to go through with the marriage and wants to opt out of it. The gang does not know what to say to Kuttan. At that moment, Subash shows up and finds out about what was going on with them.

Subash reveals to them that as a fatherless child, he had never felt like anyone stood up for him. When he was inside the cave, he accepted death because he did not believe anyone would venture so deep to save him. But his friends proved him wrong, especially Kuttan, who risked his own life to save him. Subash has now regained his faith in God, seeing God as his friend. He reassures Kuttan that a brave and loyal friend like him will make a good husband and a great father. The group finally realizes that they were the ones truly traumatized, not Subash. Although Subash hasn’t fully recovered physically, he is ready to turn his life around positively, inspiring everyone. The wedding ceremony takes place, and Kuttan happily marries his future wife. The friends celebrate with another tug-of-war challenge against their rivals, winning this time by sticking together under Subash’s lead. They joke about going on another vacation to move past what happened in Kodaikanal. The story ends with laughter as the forest officials permanently seal the hole in the Guna cave. The real pictures of the Manjummel boys are shared in the end credits.

CONCLUSION

When someone experiences a near-death situation and survives, they often enter a heightened state of awareness, similar to an athlete’s zone. They begin to take life more seriously and feel grateful for the second chance to live happily. It’s only when a person starts blaming themselves or regretting past decisions that they fall into depression and trauma. I believe that one can evolve and grow even after enduring extreme trauma. I didn’t want Subash’s character to be left suffering due to his ignorance. Even if that’s what happened in reality, in fiction, the character could find some resolution. Manjummel Boys is a movie that sparks the imagination in countless ways. My envisioned ending for this story might not satisfy everyone, but I sincerely believe that it’s logical. Does my version of the ending resonate with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts.