Is Basil Joseph’s Malayalam dark comedy thriller Ponman based on a real life story?

Malayalam dark comedy flick Ponman received much critical appreciation upon its release. But did you know it is based on a real-life story? Read on to find out.

By Srijony Das

Published on Mar 20, 2025 | 04:50 PM IST | 7.6K

Is Basil Joseph’s Malayalam dark comedy thriller Ponman based on a real life story? (PC: IMDb)

Basil Joseph and Sajin Gopu starrer Ponman hit theaters on January 30, 2025, and within a very short time, it emerged as a clear hit at the box office. It earned widespread acclaim from both critics and audiences alike, and the numbers it minted were quite promising.

The title of the movie, which literally translates to Gold Man, is actually based on a real-life story.

To put things into perspective, the storyline of Ponman is based on the famous novel Naalanchu Cheruppakar, written by G.R. Indugopan.

That’s not all—the writer ended up writing the novel in the first place after the film’s director, Jyothish Shankar, narrated the story to him, drawing from his own life experiences.

The story of Ponman follows the journey of friends who were very close to both the writer of the novel and the director of the movie. It is set against the backdrop of the city of Kollam, where Jyothish hails from.

Besides being inspired by personal experiences, the Basil Joseph starrer also takes massive reference from societal surroundings, especially addressing social evils that have eroded the cultural fabric of many places.

This includes the mention of dowry, a practice that remains persistent in Indian society at large.

Coming back to the reception of Ponman, the movie recently received a special review from filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who tagged it as one of the most honest cinematic representations.

An excerpt from his review surfaced online, in which the director expressed, “So original and so much fun. Basil Joseph has to be one of the coolest everyman actors we have today. Loved it.”

For those unaware, Ponman is now available for OTT viewing as well. Fans of the movie can stream it online on the Jio Hotstar portal.