Chennai-based Gopinath visited Guna Caves in Kodaikanal in the early 2000s as a child. It was long before the 2024 Malayalam film ‘Manjummel Boys’ was released, but also definitely after the Kamal Hassan film, ‘Gunaa’ was released in 1991. However, Gopinath was an unsuspecting child, who had only gone there sightseeing with his family and expected nothing more. He shares, “At that point, I wasn’t aware of its dangerous history or the 16 recorded and multiple unrecorded disappearances in connection with the cave. However, I remember how petrifying the place looked and given the cold Kodaikanal weather, the chills were quite literal.”

Ever since the Malayalam film was released in 2024, the 34-year-old says he has heard that a lot more people have been attracted to the site, and that is confirmed by quite a few media reports. Incidentally, as many as 13 people have died falling inside the cave, according to official figures by the Tamil Nadu government. The film, though, is about one man from Ernakulam Manjummel who fell into the cave in 2006 and was saved by his friends. Curiosity has got the better of many film buffs, who have gone to visit the site, even during the off-season, according to the very same reports.