The winners of the prestigious Kerala State Film Awards have been finally announced. Hosted in Thrissur on November 3rd, Saji Cherian, the Kerala Minister of Cultural and Youth Affairs announced the winners of the much-awaited honours from the 55th Kerala State Film Awards.
The award ceremony is held every year by the Kerala State Chalchitra Academy to honour the efforts and contributions of the Malayalam cinema. More than just trophies this film award represents the state’s rich culture, encouraging the filmmakers, actors and creators to push the boundaries and preserve Malayalam cinema’s reputation.
This year’s awards were decided by a jury consisting of seven members, headed by the veteran actor, filmmaker, and producer Prakash Raj. Out of the 128 list of films listed for the nomination, only 26 names were shortlisted.
List of Awards won by Manjummel Boys
While the room was filled with hootings for the veteran actor who took his seventh award for the best actor for performing as Kodumon Potty in ‘Bramayugam’ and Shamla Hamza who took home the award for the Best Actress in ‘Feminichi Fathima’, the night had something bigger to reveal.
Out of all those 26 nominated films, Manjummel Boys emerged as the biggest winner this year, bagging around 9 wins! From Best Film to Best Director, here is a list of all the award categories won by the ‘Manjummel Boys’.
1. Best Film Award
2. Best Director Award: Chidambram S. Poduval
3. Best Cinematography Award: Shayju Khalid
4. Best Character Artist (Male): Soubin Shahir
5. Best Art Direction Award: Ajayan Chalissery
6. Best Lyricist: Vedan for ‘Kuthanthram’
7. Best Original Screenplay – Chidambaram S Poduval
8. Best Sound Design: Shijin and Abhishek
9. Best Sound Mixing: Shijin Melvin
About the Movie
‘Manjummel Boys’ is a survival drama inspired by a real-life accident that took place in the Guna Caves near Kodaikanal during the 2000s. The story revolves around the journey of a group of friends who travel from Manjummel to Kadaikanal on a trip that later turns into a rescue mission.
One of the friends accidentally falls into the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’, a dangerous part of the cave, and the rest of the group battles against time, fear and fate in order to save their friend trapped in the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’. This movie is a beautiful blend of reality, friendship and suspense that will keep you at the edge of your seat.
Meet the team behind the success door!
The movie is directed by Chidambram S. Poduval who made a striking debut with Jan.E.Man (2021). Through his previous hits, he has already established his name in the excellence of dark comedy with realism and humour. It has breathtaking visuals crafted by Shyju Khalid, the cinematographer known for his works in Premalu, Kumbalangi Nights and Driving License.
The recreation of the cave by the art director Ajayan Chalissery became the heart and soul of the movie, delivering excellent realism. The soul stirring music from the composer of ‘Kurup’ and ‘Vrathan’ Sushin Shyam has once again proved his versatility in Malayalam cinema.
The actors and ensemble cast featuring Soubin Shahir who is also the co-producer of the movie and, Sreenath Bhasi, Balu Varghese and Jean Paul brought life to the entire team’s hard work.
Box office collection
The film has been officially named as one of the highest-grossing Malayalam movie of 2024, crossing over Rs 200 crores at the box office. The film was praised both by the audience and the critics for its visuals, VFX and excellent choice of a Tamil song ‘Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan’ in a major scene. Following the deserved hype, the movie also got featured in the list of Google’s Top 10 searched movie of 2024.
Written by: Supriya