Aadujeevitham / The Goat Life - Review | Blessy | Prithviraj

"Aadujeevitham" or "The Goat Life" is a 2024 Malayalam-language survival drama film, written, directed, and co-produced by Blessy. An international co-production involving companies in India and the United States, the film adapts Benyamin's 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel "Aadujeevitham." The story is based on the real-life experiences of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant laborer who like many Indians, was forced into slavery as a goatherd in the secluded deserts of Saudi Arabia. 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, who had aspired to adapt the novel since 2008, finally secured the rights in 2009 but faced significant budget constraints, leading the project into development hell. After years of searching for a producer, Blessy found support in 2015, with Jimmy Jean-Louis and Steven Adams joining as co-producers. The film's music was composed by A. R. Rahman.

Principal photography for "Aadujeevitham" took place between March 2018 and July 2022 across the deserts of Wadi Rum in Jordan, the Algerian Sahara, and Kerala, India. The crew experienced a major setback when they were stranded in Jordan for 70 days during the COVID-19 pandemic but were eventually repatriated to India via the Vande Bharat Mission. Filming concluded on 14 July 2022, and the film was released worldwide on 28 March 2024. Grossing over ₹160 crore (US$19 million) to date, "The Goat Life" is the third highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time and the second highest-grossing Malayalam film of 2024. It also ranks as the fourth highest-grossing South Indian film of the year and one of the highest-grossing Indian films of 2024.

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