Renowned Tamil and Malayalam writer and literary critic B Jeyamohan recently sparked controversy with his critique of the Malayalam film ‘Manjummel Boys,’ where he criticized the depicted youths as lacking in historical, artistic, and political sensibilities.
However, despite Jeyamohan’s critique, ‘Manjummel Boys’ has made history by becoming the highest-grossing Malayalam film in India, surpassing the records set by ‘2018’ and ‘Pulimurugan.’
In response to Jeyamohan’s criticism, Director Priyadarshan defended the film’s portrayal, emphasizing the core theme of friendship that he believes the writer failed to perceive. Priyadarshan expressed disappointment with Jeyamohan’s assessment and questioned the motives behind it, suggesting a potential bias related to the depiction of alcohol consumption in the film.
Using a dialogue from MT Vasudevan Nair’s ‘Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha,’ Priyadarshan conveyed a nuanced response, asserting that while Jeyamohan’s critique holds partial truth, it overlooks the central theme of friendship depicted in ‘Manjummel Boys.’
Priyadarshan emphasized the importance of individual choice regarding alcohol consumption and clarified that the film’s success at the box office indicates its resonance with audiences.