Malayalam film Manjummel Boys, which narrates the tale of a hiking group in Kodaikanal, has received widespread critical acclaim. It has proved to be a money spinner at the box office. While the movie has, in majority, received positive reviews, noted writer and literary critic B Jeyamohan is apparently not happy with the film. Jeyamohan has criticised Manjummel Boys and has particularly said that the youth in the film were depicted as obnoxious, who had no respect for art, history or politics. Director Priyadarshan has offered a response to Jeyamohan’s critique, stating that the writer overlooked the film’s central theme of friendship. In an article published on the Mathrubhumi website, Priyadarshan expressed his disappointment with Jeyamohan’s analysis. He raised questions about the true intentions behind the criticism and pondered whether it was related to the characters in the film choosing to consume alcohol rather than soft drinks.
Priyadarshan countered Jeyamohan’s critique by expressing that it contains both elements of truth and falsehood, cautioning against generalisations based on partial truths. He argued that Jeyamohan failed to comprehend the profound theme of deep friendship portrayed in the Majummel Boys. Priyadarshan rejected the idea of overshadowing this essence with alcoholism, asserting that the film does not endorse such behaviour but instead underscores the importance of genuine friendships.
Priyadarshan said “Not all people who drink are evil and those who don’t are holy. It’s all just a matter of choice.” He ended his note by saying that he is not promoting alcoholism among the youth.
Manjummel Boys released on February 22 and grossed over Rs 166 crore worldwide, becoming the highest grossing Malayalam film of 2024 as well as one of the highest grossing Indian films of 2024. The film is directed by Chidambaram and stars Soubin Shahir, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese, Ganapathi S. Poduval, Lal Jr among others.
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