Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram and Aavesham writer-director Jithu Madhavan have announed a joint venture titled Balan - The Boy. The film, directed by the former and written by the latter, is produced by KVN Productions and Thespian Films.
KVN Productions, run by Venkat K Narayana, is the same company that's bankrolling Kannada superstar Yash's upcoming feature 'Toxic', directed by Geetu Mohandas.
The details of the project, including its genre, have been kept under wraps. KVN Productions had announced the project in January.
Notably, Balan is also the title of the first sound film in Malayalam, and the third film made in Malayalam after Vigathakumaran and Marthanda Varma. Whether Chidambaram's film has anything to do with the 1938 film remains to be seen.
Four members of the Manjummel Boys team — cinematographer Shyju Khalid, editor Vivek Harshan, production designer Ajayan Chalissery, and composer Sushin Syam — are part of Balan too.
Actor and casting director Chidambaram, who was part of Manjummel Boys and Alappuzha Gymkhana in lead roles, is involved as executive producer. Sharing the poster, he announced the commencemment of production on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
Chidambaram's "Manjummel Boys" and "Aavesham", which was written and directed by Madhavan, were two of the most successful titles of the year 2024.
"I’m thrilled to work with a team that shares my passion for storytelling. This collaboration is something I am looking forward to, I can't wait to bring this vision to life," Chidambaram said in an earlier statement.
And Jithu Madhavan had said that the script of Balan is one that's close to his heart.
Chidambaram made his directorial debut with the surprise blockbuster Jan-e-Mann, which arrived in the middle of COVID-19 and ended up doing extraordinary business in Kerala. Jithu Madhavan also had a stellar directorial debut with Romancham.
Some of the actors who made their acting debuts in their films are now among the most sought-after talents in the industry. The most popular is Ponman actor Sajin Gopu, who delivered breakthrough performances in Jan-e-Man and Aavesham.