The death of one of Kerala's most beloved political figures, VS Achuthanandan, in Thiruvananthapuram on July 21, 2025, is still being mourned by the state. Even in the face of the outpouring of sorrow, anecdotes and past incidents of the Communist icon are widely debated and shared on social media. Earlier, in an interview, Chidambaram S Poduval, the director of Manjummel Boys, discussed interacting with VS, who was then in his nineties, and learning about the politician's energy level.

Manjummel Boys' Chidambaram on VS

Chidambaram, a Malayali filmmaker, released his first film, Jan.E.Man, which starred Basil Joseph, in 2021. Prior to that, he had worked on documentaries and movies, and one of those times he had interacted closely with former Kerala Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan. The young filmmaker described the incident in a prior interview with Cue Studio, saying that New Castle University intended to produce a documentary on the hundred years of Communism. Ian MacDonald was the documentary's director and cinematographer.

Chidambaram said that he had the good fortune to work with the British director and that he had gained a lot from him

"During the filming of the anniversary of the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising in Alappuzha, I met Achuthanandan sir in this manner. It wasn't until I spent two or three days with him that I realized how high his energy was, he said.

According to news sources, the British director was in Kerala in 2016, and the Communist politician would have been 93 at the time. Known as the champion of the marginalized, VS was one of the most respected political leaders in Kerala. He maintained an active role in politics and public life throughout his later years thanks to a rigorous health regimen. In the same year, the seasoned politician starred in a film called Campus Diary.

In the interview from March 2024, Chidambaram also said that the documentary had not completed shoot even then. They are still accumulating the footage, he remarked.

On the other hand, Chidambaram shot to popularity after his second directorial, Manjummel Boys, became one of the highest-grossing Malayalam films. The survival thriller is available for streaming on JioHotstar via OTTplay Premium.
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