Chennai: Tamil Nadu government has added an unexpected twist to the celebrated Malayalam movie, 'Manjummel Boys'.
The 2024 survival thriller was based on a real incident that occurred 18 years ago when a group of friends visited Kodaikanal.
The movie depicted one of the group members falling into a crevice in Guna Caves, previously known as the Devil's Kitchen, and his friends' desperate but successful attempt to pull him out.
The friends had sought the help of Tamil Nadu police, who, according to the movie's narrative, were inimical and abusive. The incident reportedly occurred in 2006.
Now, Tamil Nadu's Home Secretary P Amudha has written to the state DGP, demanding a probe into the said incident, and appropriate follow-up action.
It was alleged that the Kodaikanal police assaulted the group members who had sought help, and initially sent only one policeman to the scene.
In the real 2006 incident, Siju Davis rescued his friend from the crevice which was almost 120 feet deep. The cinema was based on the rescue.
The Home Department wrote to the DGP based on a complaint by a Railway Consultative Committee member and Congress leader in Tamil Nadu, V Shiju Abraham, hailing from Nilambur in Kerala.
Original group not keen on pursuing case
"It is true that the police had assaulted those who were then with us," Siju Davis (Kuttan) said. "Those who went to the station were beaten up. When we visited the Guna Caves after the movie was released, the police and forest guard met us and apologised for the 2006 incident. They said several murders had taken place there, and they thought ours was one such case. It happened years ago, and all involved have become old. We don't want to inconvenience them by filing a case," he said.