Manjummal Boys: The gut-wrenching rescue story behind this year's sleeper hit
Produced by: BT Desk
200 cr from just Rs 20 cr budget
Made on a modest budget of Rs 20 crore, with no big stars or promotion, Manjummal Boys is the 1st Malayalam film to make over Rs 200 crore at the box office across the world.
The Guna cave story
The sleeper hit draws its plot from a real incident that happened in 2006. Subhash, a native of Manjummal in Kerala's Ernakulam, fell into a deep pit in Kodaikanal's Guna Caves.
Did it for my friend
What followed was a gut-wrenching rescue by his friend Siju David, away from the glare of media. "I could not think of going back without my friend," he said.
Devil's kitchen
Subhash, according to news reports, slipped into an 80 feet-long pit. The rescue team was hesitant to enter it. At least 10 persons had died after falling into what was called the ‘Devil’s Kitchen’.
13 plus deaths
Some official records have put the number of the deaths at the spot at 13, while there are claims that it could be 16 or more.
Siju's bravery
Siju David volunteered and went down the cave using a 50-foot-long rope. Later, another rope was tied to it to ensure he reached Subhash and he tied the rope around his body, before the two were pulled out.
Why Guna?
Siju David was awarded the Jeevan Raksha Padak for bravery in 2008. Guna Caves got its name after the 1991 film Guna starring Kamal Haasan, which was shot there.
Who found it?
Guna and caves around it were discovered by British official B S Ward in 1821. They are situated at an elevation of 2,230 metre.