Movie: PonMan
Rating: 3/5
Cast: Basil Joseph, Lijomol Jose, Sajin Gopu, Anand Manmadhan and others
Director: Jotish Shankar
Producer: Ajith Vinayak Films
Streaming On: Jio Hotstar
Basil Joseph’s PonMan is one of the well appreciated movies from Malayalam Cinema in recent times. The film was a success at the theatrical release, and it arrived on OTT lately. Let’s find out why it has achieved good appreciation from the theatrical and OTT audiences in our review.
Story:
Ajesh, a gold dealer, loans 25 sovereigns to Bruno for his sister, Steffi’s wedding, expecting to receive all the gifts given to the bride. When the family cannot pay the money, Ajesh decides to get it by any means. The rest of the story is how he faces Steffi’s husband Mariyano, a criminal who has his reasons for stockpiling gold.
Performances:
Basil Joseph is terrific in the character of Ajesh. He shows superb command in some crucial scenes. Lijomol Jose and Sajin Gopu perform well, while Anand Manmadhan, Sandhya Rajendran, Jaya Kurup, and Deepak Parambol also make a good impact.
Analysis:
The movie takes place in Kollam and adapts GR Indugopan’s Nalanchu Cheruppakarar. The film stands out as its underdog characters seize every opportunity to rise from hardship.
Initially, it takes a while to get going, and some sluggish segments in the latter half slow things down. But the positive points work superbly for the film. The significant confrontation between Ajesh and Mariyano demonstrates Mariyano’s shift towards immorality in pursuit of financial stability, which results in audiences rooting for Ajesh.
Moreover, a seamless transition of Steffi and Ajesh’s relationship at the climax is neatly enhanced by perfect dialogues.
Positives:
- Performances
- Engaging Screenplay (For Most of the Parts)
- Some Crucial Moments
Negatives:
- Dull Feel in the Beginning
- Stretched Moments in the Second Half
PonMan Movie Review and Verdict:
Jothish Shankar’s PonMan is a well-made emotional drama. This film captivates with convincing performances from Basil Joseph, Lijomol, and Sajin Gopu and a neatly done screenplay except for a few flaws.