Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Genre: Drama
Year: 2022
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Director: Vipin Das
Cast: Darshana Rajendran, Basil Joseph, Aju Verghese
Kid rating: PG-15
Jaya (Darshana Rajendran) is a young girl living in a small conservative town. She wants to study further after high school, at a college outside her little town, but her parents are averse to the idea so she gets a degree at the local college. At the college, she forms a strong friendship with one of the professors. When her parents get wind of this, they quickly get her married to someone else, despite her objections.
When Jaya comes to her married home, she notices something odd. The living room glass table is cracked, and some of the furniture legs are dented as though someone has hit, or kicked it in a fit of temper. As she settles in, she realizes that her new husband, Rajesh (Basil Joseph) has certain likes and dislikes, and does not tolerate changes. One day, when things don’t go as per his demands, he slaps Jaya.
This then happens again and again. Every time it does, Rajesh takes Jaya out for dinner and a movie and moves on. Until it happens again. Jaya is miserable and talks to her parents, but they advise patience and forbearance. She then realizes that she herself will have to do something to get out of this situation.
This Malayalam film deals with a serious issue using humor to drive home a point. It also shows “everyday misogyny” (like “The Great Indian Kitchen” did), where ill-treatment is so commonplace that no one even blinks. It is just the way things are. If she is being hit, she must have done something to deserve it. She must “adjust”. She must control her actions. She should stop asking questions. She should do everything per the likes of others. It also shows how “normalized” domestic violence is, how women are just supposed to take it. Society’s hypocrisy is out on display. While the woman must quietly submit to beatings, when the shoe is on the other foot, everyone is outraged.
You would not think that a film with this subject would be entertaining, but entertaining it is. Director Das has done an excellent job of fleshing out the characters and their reactions to different situations. The fights between Jaya and her husband, where she gives as good as she gets, are hilariously portrayed, complete with a running commentary and peppy music.
Darshana is an excellent actress, and she is quite fabulous as Jaya. Basil as her husband also does very well morphing from a bossy man quite set in his ways, to someone who is afraid to set foot in his own home.
Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I went into it following a recommendation on Instagram, and did not expect the twist at all. Jaya, Jaya, Jaya, Jaya Hey works because it has a good balance between depicting an important social issue and light humor. Highly recommended.
Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey is available to stream of Hulu/Hotstar. For other Malayalam recommendations check out this list of Malayalam films available on streaming platforms.
Kidwise: Scenes depicting domestic violence and physical abuse.
