Jothish Shankar always wanted to call the shots on a film set. But fate had other plans, steering him into art direction, where he crafted many stunning set works, winning two Kerala State Awards along the way. Now, after years of designing worlds for other storytellers, he’s finally stepped into the director’s chair with Ponman—a gritty, gold-laced tale of dowry, deception, and drama.
Adapted from GR Indugopan’s novella Naalanchu Cheruppakkar, Ponman sees Basil Joseph as a wily gold agent, Sajin Gopu as a brooding groom, and Lijomol Jose as the bride caught in the storm. Shot in Kollam, and packed with raw intensity, the film is as real as it gets. Jothish, both the architect and craftsman, has finally built his dream. Now, as he soaks in the success, Jothish reflects on the journey that brought him here.
Excerpts:
Could you walk us through the real-life incidents that shaped Ponman?
Although I am from Kuttanad, I spent some time in Kollam after my graduation in sculpting. In fact, I still live in Kollam (laughs). I had a close-knit group of friends, and we stayed in a lodge. The events depicted in the book took place during that period when we had gone to help with a friend’s sister’s wedding where we met the actual PP Ajesh, who arranged the gold. One of the characters in the film, Marutha Lalu, was based on me.
Likewise, the character played by Deepak Parambol was based on actor Rajesh Sharma. I remember Ajesh—I’m not sure if that was his real name—as someone who was always up to some mischief. Just like in the film, he and the others ran along the beach wearing nothing but their underwear. We are still trying to find the original Ajesh in real life. I hope we find him in due course. Unlike in the film, the bride and groom left on their wedding night itself because the groom felt uncomfortable staying at the bride’s house. The real Ajesh then created a commotion, and we quickly escaped.
Why did you choose GR Indugopan to pen the novella that became Ponman?
I believe writing is a craft in itself, and it should be handled by someone who truly understands it. A story isn’t just about narrating personal experiences, is it? Had I attempted to make a story by simply incorporating all my experiences, it wouldn’t have resulted in a coherent narrative. I needed a writer with a strong imagination—someone who could shape those experiences into a well-structured story that I could then bring to life visually.
Being a long-time admirer of Indugopan chettan since Beejabankile Penkutty, I immediately thought of him. He was initially reluctant, but I persisted, much like PP Ajesh. As I recounted my experiences with friends from Kollam, we realised having many common friends. This led to frequent gatherings where we reminisced, and Indugopan took extensive notes. By the end of those meetings, he had enough material for two novels!
Indugopan chettan initially struggled to shape the anecdotes into a coherent narrative. But I persuaded him, insisting that I wanted to make a film set in Kollam, written by a Kollamite. Eventually, he agreed. During the lockdown, he called me and said he was considering writing about that gold agent. A few days later, he emailed me a draft, detailing events until Ajesh arrives with the gold. I was in tears of joy as it was exactly what I had been searching for.
Did you always dream of becoming a director, or was it something that developed later on?
Having worked as an art director for so many years, I was constantly searching for a compelling story for my directorial debut. I read numerous novels, short stories, and scripts, but none truly excited me. A friend then suggested, “Why are you looking elsewhere for a story when you have so many in your own life? All you need is a capable writer to develop a screenplay.” That was a turning point for me.
How did the screenplay evolve?
From the time of the novel’s publication, Indugopan chettan and I began writing the screenplay. Along the way, Minnal Murali’s co-writer Justin Mathew also joined us, and our process improved even further. In total, we worked through around 35–40 drafts over five years. Sanu (John Varughese) chettan and Basil also provided valuable input for the screenplay.
How did you land on casting Basil as Ajesh, which turned out to be his best performance yet?
Initially, I didn’t have Basil or anyone else in mind for the role. As the screenplay developed, we thought of Basil, and it turned out to be the best choice. When I first pitched the role, he was hesitant as he was preparing for his next directorial. However, after reading the novel, he became fascinated by Ajesh’s character and agreed to take it on. After finishing the film, he told me that it became his favourite character to date in his acting career.
When Basil, as Ajesh, schools Bruno (Anand Manmadhan) about the meaning of life, we primarily focus the camera on Ajesh’s face, as though he is speaking directly to the audience. Basil insisted and did seven or eight takes for this scene, though I was happy with the third take, which we ultimately used in the film. Another moment that stunned me was when Ajesh’s employer’s son leaves after slapping him. Ajesh then says to Bruno, “Kavaalakuti polakke orennam kittiyaalentha, saadanam thirichu pidikkan randu divasam gap kittiyallo, nammade position onnu convey cheyyaan patiyallo.” Basil delivered these lines with a mix of laughter and tears, as tears rolled down his face. We have seen such performances from Lalettan and Mammookka, but Basil made this moment unforgettable in his own unique way.
What were some of the other memorable moments while filming Ponman?
The scene where Steffi (Lijomol Jose) gives a piece of her mind to Bruno (Anand Manmadhan) was particularly memorable. The crack in Lijo’s voice when she mockingly says “aangala” was her improvisation. I didn’t ask her to add that nuance, but when she did, it felt deeply impactful. Lijo suggested doing a retake because of her voice crack, but I convinced her that it was the highlight of that heated exchange. Since we did not shoot it with sync sound, Lijo worked a lot on the dubbing to recreate the same impact.
The climax fight between Ajesh and Mariyano (Sajin Gopu) was another favourite. We shot with actual sludge over seven days. Every night, both Basil and Sajin would come and jump into the sludge, putting in a lot of effort to make it as convincing as possible. Sajin even sustained a minor injury while filming.
Could you tell us about the other casting choices?
When I narrated the story to Sajin, he immediately understood the character and, without me suggesting it, said he should gain weight and learn rowing. That was when we decided to cast him as Mariyano. Lijomol also agreed immediately after hearing the story, and I suggested she come to Kollam 10 days before filming to familiarise herself with the setting and people in Munroethuruthu, which is shown as Thalavettichira in the film.
I cast Anand (Manmadhan) after seeing his performance in Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey. He strikes a very peculiar expression in the middle of a heated confrontation between Basil and Darshana’s (Rajendran) characters’ families. That really impressed me, and I fixed Anand as Bruno. I have seen such an expression from late actor Murali, who would have been apt in Ponman if made in the late 80s, with Mohanlal as Ajesh and Shobana as Steffi.
Casting Sandhya Rajendran as Steffi’s mother Agnes, a relatively unfamiliar face carrying forward the legacy of her late father, the veteran theatre artiste O Madhavan, was an interesting choice...
When I finished reading the novel for the first time, I told Indugopan chettan that Sandhya Rajendran should play Agnes. Firstly, I share a close personal bond with her; she was the one who gave me money when I needed it to attend my exams. It felt fitting to have her in my first film. Secondly, I wanted a different face for the role of a mother, someone distinct from the usual actors who play such roles. I also wanted an actor from Kollam to portray the character, as I believed it would bring the cultural nuances of the role perfectly.
While adapting for the screen, the entire third act has been effectively reworked...
In the film, we wanted to emphasise Steffi’s autonomy in the ending, leaving room for a potential romance between Ajesh and her—one that audiences could interpret according to their own perspectives. In the book, Ajesh coerces her into fleeing with him, but I felt such an ending would not align with modern sensibilities. I didn’t want my film to feel outdated or regressive, even decades from now, so we were particularly mindful of portraying Steffi’s agency as an individual.
What’s the best response you received from moviegoers?
It was from people in the IT field and business owners, who told me that Ajesh was an inspirational character. One such business owner said he insisted his employees watch the film as motivation.
After Ponman, do you see yourself directing again?
If I come across a good story like Ponman, I would definitely consider directing again. For now, I’ve begun production design work for Rahul Sadasivan’s next.