| Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) | |
|---|---|
 First look poster | |
| Directed by | Blessy |
| Screenplay by | Blessy |
| Based on | Aadujeevitham by Benyamin |
| Produced by | Blessy Jimmy Jean Louis Steven Adams |
| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Sunil K. S. |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production companies | Visual Romance Jet Media Production Alta Global Media |
| Distributed by | Prithviraj Productions (Malayalam) Red Giant Movies (Tamil) Mythri Movie Makers (Telugu) Hombale Films (Kannada) AA Films (Hindi) |
Release date |
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Running time | 173 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language |
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| Budget | ₹82 crore[2] |
| Box office | est.₹75 crore[3] |
Aadujeevitham (titled internationally as The Goat Life) is a 2024 Malayalam-language survival drama film written, directed, and co-produced by Blessy. The film is an international co-production involving companies in India and the United States. It is an adaptation of the 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham by Benyamin, which is based on the real-life story of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant laborer, one among thousands of Indians who were forced into slavery as goatherds on secluded farms in the deserts of Saudi Arabia by the native Arabs.[4] The film stars Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jimmy Jean-Louis and K. R Gokul in lead roles, with Talib Al Balushi, Rik Aby, Amala Paul and Shobha Mohan in supporting roles.
Blessy had wanted to adapt Aadujeevitham ever since he read the novel in 2008 and has cast Prithviraj as the lead. The following year, he bought the rights from Benyamin and began writing the screenplay. However, due to budget constraints which prevented substantial progress, the film went into development hell. Blessy spent years searching for a producer, finally finding one in 2015, allowing the project to gain momentum. Jimmy Jean-Louis and Steven Adams joined Blessy as co-producers. A. R. Rahman composed the film's original score and songs.
Principal photography took place in phases between March 2018 and July 2022 through six schedules in the deserts of Wadi Rum, Jordan and the Algerian desert in the Sahara with some scenes shot in Kerala, India. The crew was stranded in Jordan for 70 days from March to May 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic's restrictions. They were eventually repatriated to India via the Indian government's evacuation programme, Vande Bharat Mission. Filming concluded on 14 July 2022.
The film was released worldwide on 28 March 2024, receiving positive response for the story and for the performances of the lead actors and grossed over ₹60 crores till date, [5] becoming the 4th highest grossing malayalam film of 2024.
Plot
In Saudi Arabia, Najeeb Muhammed and Hakim, two Malayali immigrants, arrive seeking a better life with visas arranged by their acquaintance Sreekumar. Stranded at the airport without knowing their employer, they are approached by a local Arab who mistakenly assumes he is their boss. Following a long journey, they are separated, with Najeeb left to work in a remote desert goat herd.
Enduring harsh conditions and isolation, Najeeb witnesses the demise of a fellow goatherd, realizing the peril of his own situation. After years of suffering, he is reunited with Hakim, who introduces him to Ibrahim Khadiri, a Somalian goatherd with knowledge of escape routes. They seize an opportunity during the Khafeel's daughter’s wedding, fleeing into the desert.
Their journey turns perilous as they struggle to find sustenance and direction, resulting in Hakim's death and Najeeb's near demise. Eventually, Khadiri also disappears. Alone in the desert, Najeeb eventually reaches civilization with the help of a passing Arab, and finds a local Malayali restaurant owned by Kunjikka, who nurses him back to health.
However, Najeeb's troubles are far from over. He faces imprisonment due to his own documentation issues where he meets the Khafeel, who leaves him as he is not his official sponsor and cannot take him back. Despite this setback, Najeeb eventually returns home.
