Reel to Real
Gone are the days when movie viewing was just limited to storytelling and a prominent star cast. Audiences now crave realism, intricacy, and authenticity. They prefer movies that delve into Indian roots and portray reality, capturing the minutest details of the plot. This is evident from recent blockbusters that have reaped huge successes worldwide, breaking the barriers of language and locale constraints.
The Malayalam movie Manjummel Boys is one of the best examples of this crop of films. With an acclaimed response worldwide, this survival thriller garnered massive appreciation for its enticing storytelling, incredible cinematography, and, most of all, the amazing set—rightfully a classic piece of art that encapsulates the intricacies of underground caverns with incredible skill.
Secrets of a set designer
In an exclusive interview with Suchithra Pillai for India Currents, the movie’s production designer, Ajayan Chalissery, unveils the magic behind the incredible set that represents the Guna caves. Movie viewers believed the caves were filmed at the actual location until the film crew revealed the truth.
“It was indeed a gratifying moment to witness our piece of work being perceived as reality. People were shocked when (they were told) that the Guna caves they saw in the movie were actually a set made of fiber and iron, and not the real location. Even those who visited the set during the shooting couldn’t digest this fact,” beamed Chalissery, who along with his incredible team created the caves at a godown near Perumbavoor in Kochi, Kerala. Finding the location was a tough task because an empty space, 50 feet in height, was required to build it.
It took two months for Chalissery and his team to meticulously plan their set. They visited the actual Guna caves, located near Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu, to comprehend the authentic texture, color tone, and rock patterns of the cave. Using raw materials like fiber, they made molds of rocks from the site to replicate the gigantic structures seen in the movie.
Echoing color and texture
“Once we took the project, we were very particular about delivering our best. We got special permission to visit the real location, which has been cordoned off for 15 years. It was tricky, and scary, as the pit was around 1900 feet deep, but still, we managed to take a few photographs. I didn’t want any rock in the scenes to look unreal,” said Chalissery, so his team took special care to create replicas that resembled the same color and texture. “Even the ferns, insects, and algae were curated with extreme precaution to craft the perfect ambiance for every shot. The remarkable cinematography by Shyju Khalid complemented the effort perfectly,” he added.
Eminent personalities from different industries like Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan have been calling him to ask about the movie’s production design after its release.
Manjummel Boys, a survival thriller, showcases the rescue operation at Guna caves by a tight-knit group of friends. Right from the start Chalissery had a hunch that his creation would be more than just a backdrop, and evolve into a prominent role as a protagonist in the movie. He delivered the phenomenal set within its two-month deadline without any problems and credits his skilled team of nearly 50 carpenters, welders, and artists who made this marvel possible.
The team also maintained the nuances of the structure with precision by setting the ideal temperature at the caves with proper air conditioning. Even water used to create artificial rains was chilled by adding 125 kg of ice into tankers. Every minute detail was well understood and captured efficiently to deliver flawless creativity.
The Devil’s Kitchen
One of the project’s most challenging pieces was the infamous Devil’s Kitchen, a sinkhole into which a lead character Subhash, falls. The team had to create its design from their imagination – none had ever seen a sinkhole. When they viewed it from the top, said Chalissery, ” It was shapeless and formed over the years with the displacement of rocks.” So they built the sinkhole in zig-zag fashion for the climax scene.
“We had to create three caves to sequence the storytelling,” he said describing the trio of 50-foot holes, “one where Subhash falls down, one where he is awake, and a third where he is rescued. It was technically challenging, critical, and tensive as the artists worked on it standing from 50 feet height.” Chalissery confessed that the experience gave him sleepless nights.
Even though the spectacular holes drew admiring visitors, eventually, the set had to be demolished due to high maintenance costs.
Chalissery created the Guna caves set within a budget of nearly 4 crores. He claims that incredible sets can be created if film producers are ready to invest time and money in them. He recently completed work on the upcoming Malayalam movie, Rifle Club, and has various projects in different languages lined up.
What audiences want
Chalissery calls working on the Manjummel Boys set a learning experience. His team taught themselves technical calculations through trial and error and even had architects visiting the set to understand the complexity and strength of the structure. “It’s all from the practical knowledge I acquired while working on sets, which paved the way for this creation,” says the designer who credits noted art director Sunil Babu as his guru. “Unfortunately, those learning instincts are slowly fading among the newcomers entering the field of art designing now,” he added.
With over 15 years of experience in the field of art design, Chalissery has witnessed the industry’s evolution. Starting his career as an art assistant writing boards and crafting small props like pistols, and sticks, he went on to create a variety of film sets including huge settings for historical movies like Pathonpatham Noottandu, Trance, Maara, Maheshinte Prathikaaram, among others.
“Audiences have evolved over the years and have started noticing the real behind-the-scenes craft work. They will appreciate good work and can even call out when something looks off. We have a huge responsibility to stand up to it and need to upskill ourselves all the time.”
