The Sentinel

In Review |
Ponman is more than just a movie

What truly makes this film stand out is its core message. Simple in its narrative yet profoundly impactful in its message.

by Rashmi Rekha Das

Recently, I watched a Malayalam movie on JioCinema (Hotstar), and it truly left a lasting impression on me. As a die-hard fan of Malayalam cinema, I rarely miss films that resonate with my taste—and last Friday’s watch, Ponman, was a gem. Simple in its narrative yet profoundly impactful in its message.

Directed by debutant Jotish Shankar and starring the ever-talented Basil Joseph, Ponman is set in a quiet coastal town in Kollam. The story begins with Bruno (Anand Manmadhan) and his mother, who are eager to arrange a marriage for his sister, Steffi (Lijomol Jose). But in Kerala’s dowry-driven society, their hopes clash with harsh realities. Steffi’s marriage is fixed with Mariyano, a prawn farmer from the remote island of Thalavettichira, whose family demands 25 sovereigns of gold as dowry.

The story takes an emotional turn when Ajesh, prepared to leave empty-handed, finds Steffi waiting alone at the church.

Due to Bruno’s troubled past, the family has no savings and no social support. The church denies them financial help, and Bruno is expelled from his political party. Enter PP Ajesh (Basil Joseph), a man with a unique business: he lends gold to brides' families in exchange for repayment after the wedding, using the cash gifts they receive. But when Steffi’s family fails to return either the gold or its value, Ajesh is left in a bind.

Determined to recover what he’s owed, Ajesh travels to Thalavettichira, posing as Steffi’s cousin. He soon realizes the real challenge: Mariyano’s family tightly guards the gold, intending to use it to settle their own dowry debts and save for their younger daughter’s future wedding. As tensions escalate, Mariyano uncovers Ajesh’s true identity, leading to a fierce confrontation. Steffi is forced to reveal everything.

The story takes an emotional turn when Ajesh, prepared to leave empty-handed, finds Steffi waiting alone at the church. She reveals she can’t return to Mariyano’s abusive household. In a quiet yet powerful moment, Ajesh offers her an escape. As they sail away together, he tells her, “You don’t need gold. You are valuable even without it.”

What follows is a poignant journey—Ajesh navigating survival, integrity, and deeply ingrained societal pressures. The film beautifully portrays his struggles, his humanity, and the quiet yet moving bond that develops between him and Steffi.

With an IMDb rating of 7.4/10 and a glowing 4.5/5 from The Times of India, Ponman is receiving well-deserved praise. Basil Joseph, Sajin Gopu, and Lijomol Jose deliver remarkable performances, each bringing authenticity and emotional depth to their roles. For his debut, Jotish Shankar has truly delivered—his storytelling is grounded, sensitive, and visually compelling.

But what truly sets Ponman apart is its core message. The film bravely sheds light on the harsh reality of dowry—particularly the tradition of gifting gold—and how it continues to burden lower-middle-class families. It’s a topic we seldom address, yet Ponman tackles it with sincerity and grace.

This is more than just a movie; it’s a mirror to society. A must-watch for anyone who appreciates meaningful cinema that dares to speak the truth.

Illinois House passes three bills, including measure to limit landlord fees

There was heated debate when lawmakers took up House Bill 3527 involving school mascots. Bill would prohibit schools from using a name, logo, or mascot that is derogatory or representative of a disabled individual or group.

Empty apartment — The Illinois House passed HB3564, which prohibits landlords from charge fees for the processing, reviewing, or accepting of an application, or demand any other payment, fee, or charge before or at the beginning of the tenancy. Landlords may not call the fee or charges something else to avoid application of these provisions. It also limits fees the total amount that can be collected for late fees.

By Kevin Bessler .::. Staff Reporter
The Center Square

SPRINGFIELD - It was a busy day for the Illinois House of Representatives Tuesday with a slew of bills passing through the chamber.

One measure, House Bill 3564, prohibits a landlord from imposing a move-in fee for renters. It also limits fees for the late payment of rent to a one-time $15 fee for every $1,500 of rent. Democratic state Rep. Rita Mayfield, D-Waukegan, said that amount is pointless.

“As a landlord, I’m going to tell you that $15 is not punitive enough to force anyone to pay their rent on time,” said Mayfield. “We have a lot of problems with individuals who don’t want to pay their rent and having the ability to charge a daily late fee actually spurs them to pay their rent.”

The measure passed by a vote of 61-43 and is headed to the Senate for consideration.

There was heated debate when lawmakers took up House Bill 3527 involving school mascots. State Rep. Maurice West’s bill would prohibit schools from using a name, logo, or mascot that is derogatory or representative of a disabled individual or group.

“This is something that is exploiting a community and if there is an inkling of injustice somewhere, there’s a threat to justice everywhere,” said West, D-Rockford.

The particular school that drew West’s ire is Freeburg High School and their mascot the “Midgets”, a community several hundred miles from his district. The school is located in state Rep. Kevin Schmidt’s district, who said the community is proud of the mascot.

“It’s going to blow up,” said Schmidt, R-Millstadt. “It’s not going to have the effect that you want. This is a local issue, the local school board should be voting on it, not the state overreaching.”

The measure passed 71-38 and if passed by the Senate, the law would require schools to adopt a new mascot by Sept. 1st, 2028.

The House also approved the Illinois Sexual Assault Survivor Treatment Act in House Bill 2805 sponsored by House Minority Leader Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, which prohibits insurance co-pays for sexual assault exams. The measure now heads to the Senate.

Commentary |
“Hands Off” rallies across the nation were patriotism in action

We saw fellow Americans join in support to defend what’s best about our country at these rallies.

by Peter Montgomery
OtherWords

Millions of Americans in more than 1,200 cities and towns gathered with friends and neighbors on April 5 in a beautiful, energetic, nonviolent, and urgently needed expression of patriotism.

The Hands Off! protest drew well over 1,000 residents to the Champaign, IL, rally at Westside Park on April 5.

We used our freedom of speech to send urgent messages to our political leaders: Respect the rule of law and constitutional checks and balances. And stop sacrificing Americans’ well-being by gutting the government’s ability to protect workers, consumers, communities, and the environment.

The gatherings were also a call to our fellow Americans to defend what’s best about our country, and to resist the destructive policies of President Donald Trump and his chainsaw-wielding billionaire buddy Elon Musk.

In our politically divided times, we often think simplistically about “red” and “blue” states. We talk as if our differences mean we don’t have anything important in common. It’s not true. People turned out from Alabama to Alaska, Tennessee to Texas, and Missouri to Montana.

Liberals and conservatives and everyone in between can find common ground in the idea that the Constitution should protect all of us. That we all benefit from clean air and water, scientific research, and basic public health capabilities.

Whatever our political leanings, we should fear and resist the idea that the government can rob people of their rights and freedom and make them disappear into foreign prisons without any way to prove their innocence. We should fear and resist government purging history from websites, books from libraries, and ideas that break with “official” ideology from museums and classrooms.

Many people have been dismayed to see powerful institutions like law firms, universities, and media companies give in to bullying from the president. We get discouraged by repeated failures of courage from elected officials who have sworn to uphold the Constitution.

But despair doesn’t get us anywhere. Action does. That’s why the April 5 gatherings were so important. People braved wind and rain, overcame their own hesitations and fears, and expressed their concerns and hopes for our future on creative, angry, funny, and inspiring signs.

Being together was a reminder that there is power in numbers. Courage can be contagious. Momentum is building.

Protests aren’t the only way Americans are fighting for what they love about this country.

Nonprofit legal groups have filed dozens of legal challenges to defend our rights and stop lawbreaking by the Trump administration. State attorneys general are doing the same. More than 500 law firms have risked retaliation from the president by signing a legal brief opposing the ways he’s abusing power to intimidate and punish lawyers for the work they do.

Senator Cory Booker recently inspired millions of Americans by speaking on the Senate floor for more than 25 hours about the ways people are being hurt by the actions of this administration. “It’s not left or right,” he said, “It’s right or wrong.”

Booker broke a record held by the late Senator Strom Thurmond, who made his place in history by blocking civil rights legislation. So it was appropriate that Booker quoted the late civil rights leader Rep. John Lewis — who, Booker recalled, “said for us to go out and cause some good trouble, necessary trouble, to redeem the soul of our nation.”

Congratulations to everyone who turned out on April 5 to create “good trouble.” Prepare to do it again and again — and invite family, friends, and neighbors to join.

Defending democracy is not one-and-done. America was founded by people who rejected being subject to the whims of a king. In our time, if we are going to preserve and strengthen government by “we, the people,” we are the people to do it.

Peter Montgomery is a Senior Fellow at People for the American Way. This op-ed was distributed by OtherWords.org.

"50 States, 1 Movement": 50501 Encourages community action for next protest

Protesters at Champaign's *Hands Off!* rally line University Avenue in Champaign. Over a thousand people were at Westside Park on a chilly April 5 for two hours, joining more than an estimated 1 million protesters nationwide.

URBANA - The 50501 group, using the slogan "50 protests. 50 states. 1 movement," is gearing up for its next event. The grassroots organization that coordinated 1,400 protests worldwide on April 5, is calling for a "Day of Action" on April 19.

While individual chapters/states can organize protests, 50501 said on its website, "We just aren't doing a big national push since many states need more time to plan and coordinate. We need to think a bit more long term and practical."

Activists nationwide had hoped for another rally similar to April 5 from the organization. The group thinks Americans affected by the Trump administration's tariffs and job cuts can be better served Easter weekend by performing acts of kindness and service.

"You don't have to reinvent the wheel, if there's an organization locally that has been doing the good work ... ask how you can help!"

Four things they suggest include:

Donating to a local organization that feeds/clothes/helps local people, especially underserved areas.
Hosting a picnic where everyone brings a few items that are in good condition to swap out for something they might need from someone else.
Doing a clothing drive during a park day or community cookout.
Meeting up at the library to discuss different actions or start a book club.

Guest Commentary |
Tariffs, the goose, the gander and the American dream

by Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator

Let’s give the tariffs time to work. I’m as anxious as you are since everything I have is tied to the stock market. If the stock market dies, I will be working or starving the rest of my life. Let’s hope things settle down soon. I believe they will and will grow even bigger.

The tariffs make sense. If China charges us a 25% tariff, then it’s only fair that we charge them one. The same goes for Canada, Mexico, Vietnam and all the others. If they want to charge us 40% then it’s only fair that we charge them the same. What is good for the goose is good for the gander.

Higher prices will come for a while. Car dealerships have seen a lot more people trying to make their deals before all the tariffs are tacked onto the prices.

People are worried about buying cheap stuff from China at Walmart or any other country. I honestly don’t want stuff from China. If China never ships another thing here it wouldn’t bother me. Sadly, everything I own today is, in some way, likely tied to a foreign country.

When I was a kid, I had a transistor radio made in Hong Kong. I thought it was funny to have such an item made from so far away. Throughout the years it became the norm. Cars, televisions, furniture, appliances and steel started coming from other places. Sadly, our American manufacturers were moving to Mexico, or any country on the planet where they could find slave labor. This turned into big profit for them because they shipped the goods cheaply back to the United States and made big profits.

We need jobs to come back to America.

The problem was that those jobs were forever lost in America. The American workers had to go out and find jobs at Walmart and Starbucks making $10 an hour which today is more like $15 to $18. They had been used to making $35 or $40 an hour before their job moved out of America.

People are crying today about what might happen to the prices at Walmart. Unfortunately, that’s all Americans can afford today is Walmart. Americans are so poor that we have to rely on Dollar General Store or Walmart.

Back in the fifties, sixties and even seventies people could go to one of the big cities in their state and find a good paying manufacturing job. There were lots of jobs. We made a lot of cars, televisions, radios, clothes, furniture, steel, lumber, and had coal mining and much more. These people made enough money to buy a house, buy two cars, buy food, raise their kids and have a real retirement after working 30 years. That was called the American dream.

Today the American dream is applying for disabled Social Security and then praying that you can afford to go to Walmart. Don’t even think about buying a new car, a new house or taking a vacation because on today’s income it is not going to happen.

Let’s try to keep breathing and see how these tariffs play out. We need jobs to come back to America. We need our own companies to come home. We need to buy our own American steel and make things here once again. If other countries will come to America and build their products here and hire our people that will be a good thing.

Just maybe, in a few years, once again, people in America will dream again.

About the author ~

Glen Mollett is the author of 13 books including Uncommom Sense, the Spiritual Chocolate series, Grandpa's Store, Minister's Guidebook insights from a fellow minister. His column is published weekly in over 600 publications in all 50 states.

The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization. We welcome comments and views from our readers. Submit your letters to the editor or commentary on a current event 24/7 to editor@oursentinel.com.

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