KALPETTA: Less than a week after a film-set bus stop in Wayanad’s Kunduvadi tribal hamlet was celebrated as an enduring gift from the makers of Balan: The Boy to the local community, the structure has become the centre of an unexpected conservation dilemma.
The bus stop, built as part of the Malayalam film’s set and left behind at the request of villagers after shooting concluded in 2025, is now under the scanner of the forest department which says its popularity has triggered an influx of visitors into the ecologically sensitive forest region.
What was once a quiet shelter for tribal schoolchildren and residents has transformed into an unlikely tourist attraction. Ever since ‘Balan’ hit cinemas, YouTubers, vloggers and social media influencers have been flocking to Kunduvadi and nearby Chekadi to take photographs and shoot videos.
Forest officials pointed out that many visitors are venturing into protected forest areas without prior permission, raising concerns over wildlife disturbance and increasing human pressure on the fragile ecosystem.
Ajayan Challissery, the film’s art director, told TNIE that it would be unfortunate if the forest department decided to demolish the bus stop.
“When we first went to Chekadi to construct the bus stop, we saw children sitting on wooden logs by the roadside while waiting for the bus. That itself was a striking sight for us. Once the bus stop was completed, the local residents were extremely happy. Even during the shooting, children and villagers used it while boarding buses,” he said.
“When the residents requested us to leave the bus stop behind, we informed them that it was only a temporary structure built for the film. Although quality materials were used, it would require regular maintenance. It was only after they agreed to take care of it that we decided to leave it there.
So, when the forest department later asked us to dismantle the bus stop, we were shattered. We have seen reports about how happy the local residents were. We hope the forest department will permit them to continue using it,” Ajayan added.
Ironically, the very structure that improved the daily lives of villagers has also become the reason authorities are considering its removal.
South Wayanad DFO Ashiq Ali said the temporary bus stop required official permission to remain on forest land. “There will be a meeting at Chekadi on Saturday, where the forest department will assess the situation and hold discussions with local residents.
If we are able to find a solution to restrict the influx of YouTubers and there is a consensus to retain the bus stop, we will grant permission for it to be retained. However, if no such solution is found, the bus stop will have to be demolished,” Ashiq Ali said.
The development has come as a shock to the residents of Kunduvadi. For the tribal families living in the remote hamlet, the bus stop is much more than a film location. It is where schoolchildren wait every morning, elderly residents take shelter from the rain and sun, and workers gather before boarding the limited bus services connecting the village with the outside world. Until the structure was left behind by the film crew, villagers had been forced to wait in the open after their old bus shelter became unusable.
“We were delighted when the film crew decided to leave the bus stop for us. Our children use it every day to board buses. To us, demolishing it serves no purpose. We request the forest department to allow the bus stop to remain here,” said Maadhan, a local resident.
