Jul 20, 2026 10:00pm IST
‘Manjummel Boys’ Director Chidambaram On Why The Hit Film Won’t Get a Sequel or Remake (EXCLUSIVE)
After delivering the blockbuster survival drama “Manjummel Boys,” filmmaker Chidambaram has made it clear that he has no plans to revisit the film with a sequel or remake. The director, who recently helmed "Balan The Boy," reveals that while he received multiple offers to remake the Malayalam hit in other languages and even expand it into a franchise, he turned them all down.
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Explaining why “Manjummel Boys” should not be remade, Chidambaram, whose last release was “Balan: The Boy”, says the film’s cultural specificity is what made it resonate with audiences. “Manjummel Boys is dubbed in Hindi. A remake won’t be honest, I think. That’s why I refused the idea of a remake.” The director admitted that the offers were financially attractive. “The offer was tempting. But it’s the conviction and your core belief that will hold you back.”
Chidambaram also confirms that producers had approached him about expanding the "Manjummel Boys" universe. Asked why those conversations didn’t materialize, he replies, “It was not tempting because I refused the remake. I could have made some money, but I still said that you don’t have to remake Manjummel Boys because it is culturally rooted as well. You can’t just make it in any place because it won’t be true.”
He adds that the film’s appeal lies in the fact that it is based on a real-life incident. “The novelty of 'Manjummel Boys' is that it’s a real incident. Otherwise, if it’s fiction, it won’t have that much appeal. I believe that,” he states.
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The filmmaker also revealed that several people pitched him survival dramas inspired by "Manjummel Boys," but he has no interest in repeating himself. “A lot of producers came to me. They’d say there was a cable car accident in Manali, make it like Manjummel Boys. However, I don’t want to do that again.”
As for a sequel, Chidambaram joked that he sees no reason to put the characters through another life-threatening ordeal. “'Manjummel Boys 2' came up in conversations again. Why are we so cruel? These boys need to go again and fall somewhere. Go through that. Only then will 'Manjummel Boys 2' happen.”
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