Is ‘Balan: The Boy’ Based On A True Story? Reality Behind The Script Of Chidambaram’s New Thriller

Following the success of Manjummel Boys, director Chidambaram is back with Balan: The Boy. The psychological thriller features Adhiseshan, Farzana Palanthingal, and Muhammad Zinaan playing the lead roles, and it has arrived at the big screen on June 19, 2026. The lead character is a teenage boy who embarks on a journey to find his mother, who has suddenly disappeared from his life.

Balan: The Boy features multiple themes of love, hope, survival, and more. The themes are almost similar to Chidambaram’s previous film, Manjummel Boys. For the unversed, Manjummel Boys focused on a real-life incident, which happened in 2006 in Guna Caves, Tamil Nadu. The case grabbed attention as it was the only incident where a person who fell in the Guna Caves was rescued safely. Meanwhile, similar questions are being raised about Balan: The Boy. Let’s find out the truth.

Is Balan: The Boy based on a true story?

Director Chidambaram has made only three films so far. His first movie, Jan.E.Man, was a fictional story, followed by Manjummel Boys, which was based on a real story. While audiences expected Balan: The Boy to take the same path as Manjummel Boys, the movie is not based on a true story. Although the themes are similar to Manjummel Boys, Balan: The Boy has more emotions as it explores the bond between a mother and son.

Chidambaram elaborates on the main plot of Balan: The Boy

Balan: The Boy has opened to decent feedback from critics and audiences so far. The film’s world premiere was held at the Cannes Film Festival. In a recent interview, Chidambaram said that he did not make the film to get international recognition. Notably, Chidambaram opened up on the main storyline, saying that although it is a road movie, it is an emotional exploration of a mother and son’s bond, which also forms the core of the plot.

The initial glimpses made audiences believe that the movie was a thriller. Chidambaram has admitted the same in the conversation, saying that emotion is the biggest strength of the film. Chidambaram also referred to a sequence where a woman appears with a gun in one hand and a child in the other. While the director did not give any spoilers about the scene, he said:

“What will thrill the audience more than that frame will be the reasons why such a situation happened.”

Chidambaram faced numerous challenges while making Balan: The Boy

While Balan: The Boy is out now in theatres, Chidambaram recalled the challenges he had to face while making the film. The major one among them was to find the best actor for the lead role. Aadiseshan was one among the 1,500 children who auditioned for the role, and Chidambaram recalled visiting multiple schools in Kerala. A similar situation emerged while casting Farzana Palanthingal, as many other popular faces were being considered for the mother’s character.

Balan: The Boy also marked the reunion of several crew members from Manjummel Boys, including cinematographer, Shyju Khalid. Chidambaram shared the experience of working with the crew, saying that he gets to learn a lot from the crew as he considers all of them senior to him. He stated that although Balan: The Boy is a big film, it is a small film in terms of the canvas. 

Chidambaram also aimed to keep things as real as possible, including the physical movement of the actors. This is one of the reasons that Balan: The Boy was filmed in various locations of Kerala, which involved climbing hills and going through the forests to get the authentic look.

Have you watched the new film, Balan: The Boy, in the theatre? Let us know your opinion about it.

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