Jotish Shankar’s debut directorial ‘Ponman’ adapted from GR Indugopan’s work ‘Naalanchu Cheruppakkar’ builds a unique narrative with the play of ego, greed, and experiences of a man in a small town in Kerala. ‘Ponman’ right from the beginning suspends a gripping narrative that only escalates to a breaking point that is both satisfying to the story and confronts the narratives.
‘Ponman’ Plot
Set around the marriage of Steffi, whose family struggles to gather the promised sovereign of gold as dowry, gets the help of Ajesh, a gold dealer who lends a specific amount of Gold to his clients who will then repay it later in intervals. The catch? Steffi’s brother Bruno gets the gold with the intention of repaying Ajesh but her husband Mariyano refuses to, making him clash with Ajesh, whose journey in becoming the man he is today and the switch in his character while collecting what belongs to him and the extent he goes to get his hands on the ‘Pon’.
#ponman trailer out now! In theaters from January 30th!https://t.co/MxislNEQf0#ponmantrailer #basiljoseph #sajingopu #lijomol pic.twitter.com/Io4PccaRrl
— basil joseph (@basiljoseph25) January 27, 2025
Notable Performances
Basil Joseph who plays Ajesh brings all that is needed for the movie to set a pace, maintain and regulate it throughout the film. The scene shown in the teaser where Ajeesh says that he might come up from his grave to get his gold sounded a little stretched, but the point where the scene is fitted and the way Basil Joseph has grown from being a jovial and funny character to being all serious about retrieving his goal sets off a friction that runs the show.
Sajin Gopi as Mariyano not only resembles the Majesticity physically but also grows in terms of performances in confronting Ajesh is convincing. He fits the correct ratio and performs to the right degree which makes him a realistic antagonist and not too animated or odd.
Lijomol Jose as Steffi as the central point of the story and as a helpless person whose voice is muted for the most part as the reflection of the current debates on dowry which in itself is under the veil of gifts and other unspoken social expectations.
The Positive Aspects
The transition and elevation of characters, especially that of Basil Joseph’s who is written in such a way that the situation molds him as a person who has gone rigid according to the people and circumstances. His journey which is shown as an impact of whosoever he met and what he has been through is used towards his rage and fight for the sovereign of gold.
The story which is adapted from the novel by GR Indugopan is not comparable as the film grows to the point of collision of the characters and their psyche which is outspoken. A clever execution that sustains the plot and not stretches it for the sake of upgrading the story. The lodge sequence in the second half with an impressive monologue by Basil Joseph is the testament to the worthy screenplay.
Justin Varghese’s background score not only escalates but also surprises as an essential element towards the second half and nearing the climax. Sanu John Varghese’s visuals doesn’t really focus on the glossy wrapper but dives deeper into the characterisation and aeration.
The Negative Aspects
Apart from the main three characters – Ajeesh, Bruno and Mariyano, the rest of the characters are shadowed especially when the screenplay picks up speed and shifts the landscape with new characters.
Post interval the screenplay shifts but still maintains revolving around a central character that almost falls as a character study, picking at the mannerisms, which even though adds advantage to the plot, ploughs the pace.
The Verdict
A neat and clever thriller that focuses on the story and depends on the characters to provide gripping narrative. Basil Joseph glows with his one of the best and outstanding performances, something very new and apart from his usual comedy roles while the plot is put forth for a must watch situational thriller.
