Ram Gopal Varma calls Chidambaram’s Balan 'beyond fantastic'

Ram Gopal Varma has set social media abuzz with his glowing praise for director Chidambaram’s upcoming film, ‘Balan’. The filmmaker took to X to share a picture with the ‘Manjummel Boys’ director and did not hold back his excitement after watching a glimpse of the new project.

“Me with #Chidambaram the BLOCKBUSTER director of #ManjummelBoys… Just saw a small cut of his latest film #Balan and it's BEYOND FANTASTIC. Just AMAZING,” Varma wrote, instantly fuelling curiosity around the film.

The endorsement carries weight, especially considering the towering expectations surrounding ‘Balan’. Chidambaram’s previous outing, ‘Manjummel Boys’, was not just a commercial success but a cultural moment for Malayalam cinema. The survival drama shattered records, becoming the first Malayalam film to enter the Rs 200 crore club. More importantly, it expanded the industry’s ambitions, proving that rooted stories with strong craft could command nationwide attention and massive box office numbers.

In many ways, ‘Manjummel Boys’ reset the scale of what Malayalam cinema could achieve. It encouraged filmmakers to think bigger while staying authentic to their storytelling sensibilities. Naturally, any project Chidambaram chooses next comes with immense scrutiny and anticipation.

‘Balan’ is backed by KVN Productions, helmed by Venkat K Narayana, in association with Thespian Films, led by Shailaja Desai Fenn. The collaboration itself has drawn attention, but what has truly heightened excitement is the coming together of two major creative forces from Malayalam cinema.

While Chidambaram directs, the script is penned by Jithu Madhavan, best known for ‘Aavesham’. The pairing of the ‘Manjummel Boys’ director and the ‘Aavesham’ writer has already positioned ‘Balan’ as one of the most eagerly awaited projects in the pipeline. Both have delivered films that resonated strongly with audiences, balancing commercial appeal with distinctive storytelling voices.

For now, all eyes are on ‘Balan’ as Malayalam cinema waits to see whether the director can follow up one historic blockbuster with another defining chapter.