Ponman – My Flash Review!

2025 has been a great year for “non-star” Malayalam films, I guess. After Eko, here is another film that is a very good watch, though it is entirely different in genre. Ponman reminded me more of films like Thingalazhcha Nischayam, which are rooted in the nativity of a particular region of Kerala.

Ponman is set in Kollam, a coastal town in southern Kerala, with the story woven around the Christian community involved in fishing. In that, the writer Indugopan, whose novel this story is based on, introduces us to a rather unique system prevalent in marriages there, which is the pivot around which the story is centered. Explaining this here is in order, and it is no spoiler for the film.

While we are familiar with the dowry or streedhan system in marriages, what is new is the presence of “mobile” jewellers who provide the gold required for dowry to the bride’s family as a very short-term loan, secured against the cash to be received as “Moi” or wedding gifts. Therefore, a man brings the gold a day before the wedding, hands it over to the bride’s family after signing an agreement, hangs around with them until the collections are accounted for, and then takes the collections with him as repayment for the gold loan. In case there is a shortfall, the bride’s family has to either pay out of pocket or return a portion of the gold. Ponman is about one such man, wonderfully played by the extremely talented Basil Joseph.

The story in Ponman is about what happens when this script goes off the track. The writer duo of Indugopan and Justin Mathew set it up so well right at the beginning, how and why things get out of hand. You will see how rooted the characters, the setting, and the happenings are when you watch the film. Like how Kerala and left politics are inseparable. Like how toxic masculinity is another aspect of Kerala that has no link with its literacy rates. Like how the religious and cultural ethos are interwoven in day-to-day lives in small-town Kerala. Like how the dynamics of the industry in which a community is involved (fishing and shrimp farming in this case) play out. I can go on and on. Enough to say that this is one film that demonstrates its rootedness in every frame.

Whether it is the eye-catching locations in Kollam, the magical cinematography of Sanu Varghese (one of the top-notch cinematographers in the country today, in my book), or the earthy, rustic performances of the cast, Ponman scores high on the making front. Above all, it is the story and the screenplay that complete the arc, making the film engaging throughout.

Writing in the film is another highlight. Powerful lines with deep bearing are casually and subtly slipped in.  Like, on the day of the wedding reception, a neighbour sarcastically jokes with the groom’s mother that she should leave the bride alone with her ornaments at least that day, as the next day, anyway, they would be appropriated by the groom’s family. Like the monologue, Basil launches into close to the interval in a brilliant scene, which is a motivational life lesson in itself.

For those of us used to the usual hero – villain routine in a film, it will be difficult to identify the characters here. Every key character in the film – whether male or female – goes through their own anxieties and vulnerabilities and therefore exhibits various shades of grey! Basil Joseph’s character is a case in point. A character whom one will hate at the beginning for his haughtiness transforms into someone who is sympathised with by the end. Basil is such a talented actor that he pulls off this arc very organically. Though appearance-wise, Basil doesn’t fit the bill as a loan collector, what he lacks physically he makes up for with his cocky attitude.

Lijomol Jose, who plays the lead female role, delivers a controlled yet powerful performance. Her character is named Steffi Graf. You wonder why. There is no backstory to this, even by way of a dialogue. The only connection is that you see a mosquito racket on the wall of her house. The other supporting cast, including Sajin Gopu, who plays Lijo’s husband, Mariano, and Anand Manmadhan as Lijo’s brother, seems plucked straight from the streets of Kollam.

Ponman, while it may seem like a dark comedy at the outset, also delivers quite a few strong social messages. Whether it is the commentary on the evils of the dowry system, women’s empowerment or the lack of it, or the exploitative nature of politics, Ponman doesn’t pull back any punches. Ponman is a very good watch. It is now streaming on Jio Hotstar.