2024 · Film
Manjummel Boys
Malayalam survival thriller based on the 2006 Guna Caves rescue, in which friends from Kochi try to save one of their group after he falls into a deep cave chasm.
Reviewed by Movie Mandala, Sun, 18 Oct, 2026
Where to watch
IndiaAs of 18 October 2026, Manjummel Boys is streaming in India on JioHotstar with a subscription.
With subscription
Confirmed through Airtel Xstream Play's 'via JioHotstar' listing, which shows Hindi among the audio languages
Checked Sun, 18 Oct, 2026 via Airtel Xstream listing
The story
In 2006, ten friends from an arts club in Manjummel, Kochi, take an Onam holiday trip to Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu. Before heading home, they visit the Guna Caves, made famous by the Kamal Haasan film Gunaa, and slip past the fences into a restricted zone. While they are posing for a photograph, Subhash steps onto unstable ground and drops into a fissure locals call the Devil's Kitchen. With police and officials doubtful he can be reached, his friends refuse to leave without him.
Spoiler-free: only the set-up.
Who it suits
A strong pick for viewers who like true-story survival dramas built on friendship rather than stars or romance. Expect long, claustrophobic stretches of peril inside the cave and some drinking scenes; it runs 135 minutes.
Genres:ThrillerDramaTrue stories
Curation to help you choose, not a review.
Background
Manjummel Boys is based on the real 2006 Guna Caves rescue, when a group of young men from Manjummel in Kochi pulled a friend out of a deep chasm in the caves near Kodaikanal. Chidambaram wrote and directed it, and Soubin Shahir, Babu Shahir and Shawn Antony produced it under Parava Films. Sushin Shyam composed the music, and the film references the Gunaa song "Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan".
It opened in cinemas on 22 February 2024 and became the first Malayalam film to gross more than ₹200 crore, finishing at about ₹242.3 crore worldwide on a reported ₹20 crore budget. It was the highest-grossing Malayalam film until L2: Empuraan (2025) overtook it. Disney+ Hotstar, now JioHotstar, began streaming it on 5 May 2024 in Malayalam with dubbed versions including Hindi. At the 55th Kerala State Film Awards it won 10 awards, including Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay, the most ever for a single film at those awards.
The facts
- Language
- Malayalam
- Hindi
- Hindi dub available
- Genre
- Survival thriller, Friendship drama
- Runtime
- 135 min
- Director
- Chidambaram
- Cast
- Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Deepak Parambol, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval
Questions people ask
- Where can I watch Manjummel Boys in India?
- As of 18 October 2026, Manjummel Boys is streaming in India on JioHotstar with a subscription.
- Is Manjummel Boys available in Hindi?
- Yes. Manjummel Boys was made in Malayalam, and a Hindi-dubbed version is available on JioHotstar.
- How long is Manjummel Boys?
- Manjummel Boys runs for 2 hours 15 minutes (135 minutes).