“Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better.” There is a story behind this 1968 epic song, Hey Jude, by the legendary English rock band Beatles. It evolved from the song Hey Jules written by Paul McCartney which was meant to comfort Julian Lennon, son of John Lennon, during his parents' separation. It is a song about being happy, and that is also exactly what Shyamaprasad's light-hearted Malayalam flick Hey Jude is all about.
Jude is unusual, atypical. Jude is special. He doesn't belong to the so-called 'normal' and finds it hard to cope up. Each day is a struggle for Jude. And, he's got no friends to pull him through. For Jude who would never lie, there is no truth in the human emotions he sees around him, be it love, anger, joy or sadness. He seeks truth and answers in numbers, and these keep him intrigued.
Jude suffers from Asperger syndrome—a developmental disorder which part of the autism spectrum disorders. People with the syndrome have trouble with social skills, and exhibit a restricted range of interests and repetitive behaviours. For Jude, those interests are numbers and oceanography. Sadly his parents are ignorant of his struggles, His father, Nicholas (Siddique), who thinks he is lazy, is concerned about every penny spent, even those that go into taking Jude to the doctor.
Life takes a different turn when Jude meets Crystal (Trisha Krishnan) and her psychologist father Dr Sebastian (Vijay Menon) in Goa. 'Crys' as everyone calls her, is also someone who doesn't fit into the standard definitions of 'normal'. Jude and Crytsal strike up a friendship that has implications in not just their lives, but also in the lives and thoughts of the people around them.
Nivin Pauly gives a very convincing performance as Jude. The body language and mannerisms demanded by the character are safe in his hands. Extreme care has been taken to replicate movements, eye contact, and speech of a person with Asperger syndrome.
Trisha Krishnan marks her debut in Malayalam with an excellent character that demands her to portray a wide range of emotions. And, she handles it with elan.
Though the film is about Jude and Crys, the father figures, Siddique and Vijay Menon, stand out with the finest performances. Though Siddique has essayed similar father roles in previous films, he manages to bring freshness to his character Nicholas. As for Vijaya Menon, Dr Sebastian is arguably the best character he has got in the last few years.
Hey Jude may not be considered the best movie crafted by Shyamaprasad. But, this could possibly bring him his biggest commercial success till date.
The movie has a well-researched script by the writer duo George Kanatt and Nirmal Sahadev. It is slow-paced at certain places and certain cliches, too, pop up occasionally. Also, the humour in certain scenes like the ones featuring Aju Varghese, didn't take off really well.
Cinematographer Gireesh Gangadharan, after Angamali Diaries and Solo, returns with another applaudable work. His frames pay full respect to the mesmerising beauty of Goa. Crisp editing by Karthik Jogesh. The music and background score blend well with the mood of the film.
Overall, Hey Jude is a simple, one-time-watch feel-good movie—a happiness project by Shyamaprasad that could comfort you if you are in a struggle with the humdrum of life.
Film: Hey Jude
Director: Shyamaprasad
Cast: Nivin Pauly, Trisha Krishnan, Siddique, Vijay Menon
Rating: 3.5/5
