It’s meant for men like you.” These words, uttered by PP Ajesh (Basil Joseph) in a heated confrontation with Mariyano (Sajin Gopu), encapsulate Ponman—a sharp critique of the dowry system.

First impressions can be hard to change, but in Ponman most of our initial assumptions about the characters turn out to be wrong, as it happens in thoughtfully-written films. This change is not ...