Ponman

Ponman is, in all honesty, one of those films that deserve appreciation for its technical brilliance and stellar performances, yet its glaring misrepresentations and the glorification of wrongdoings highlight how a well-executed film can subtly reinforce harmful ideas. While the movie shines in many ways, it is also deeply flawed and these flaws cannot be overlooked.

Director Jotish Shankar's film Ponman is extremely different, and Basil has broken out of his stereotyped image—and how. Ponman is an enthralling, technically superb film that showcases the Malayalam actor in a completely new avatar.

A Stunning Basil Joseph Shines In This Stressful, High-Stakes Drama

By keeping you intrigued about how the central character would go about a situation that looks impossible to crack and making him do stuff that you wouldn’t anticipate him to do, this dowry critique takes the shape of a situational thriller. By giving us a picture of PP Ajesh through the events of the story, which indirectly tells us what made him this person who never gives up, Ponman becomes a character study and a compelling drama at the same time.

Ponman could have easily turned into another film with a progressive message against dowry and the unhealthy obsession with gold. But what we get instead is an engrossing, non-judgemental study of characters, most of whom are victims of social malaise. Ponman is worth its weight in gold.