‘Aadujeevitham’ Aka ‘The Goat Life’ Movie Review: Prithviraj Sukumaran’s Career Best Performance Is A Niche Watch

Back in 2008, when Benyamin released his Malayalam novel ‘Aadujeevitham’, he never would have imagined that it would take so many years for the story to be translated to screen. Since 2008, National Film Award winning filmmaker Blessy has been working slowly and steadily on this and finally after a lot of efforts the film finally went on floors in 2018. While Suriya was approached first for the film, he couldn’t commit a year and a half’s time for this project due to conflicts with other project dates. It was then that the film went to Prithviraj Sukumaran, and he has been with it since 2008. After a lot of delays the film finally hit theatres, and is touted to be one of the biggest productions to be hitting screens this year.

‘Aadujeevitham’ Aka ‘The Goat Life’: Story

Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran) and his buddy Hakeem (KR Gokul) arrive in Saudi Arabia for job. They don’t know Hindi or English, and they appear bewildered at the airport. While they wait for their sponsor, Khafeel (Talib Al Balushi) realises how easy it is to deceive Najeeb and Hakeem. Khafeel carries them along with him. Najeeb is assigned to care after goats on a remote property in the desert. He also becomes distanced from Hakeem. ‘Aadujeevitham’ aka ‘The Goat Life’ is about Najeeb’s actions during that time – how he survived, how he managed to make a living, how he managed to escape and finally get reunited with his family and loved ones.

‘Aadujeevitham’ Aka ‘The Goat Life’: Cast & Crew

Director: Blessy

Cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Amala Paul, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Shobha Mohan, KR Gokul, Talib Al Balushi, Rik Aby, Nazer Karutheni

Available In: Theatres

Duration: 2 Hours 53 Minutes

‘Aadujeevitham’ Aka ‘The Goat Life’: Can Kids Watch It?

Yes

Outlook’s Verdict

‘Aadujeevitham’ aka ‘The Goat Life’ is not for everyone. The performances, especially by Prithviraj Sukumaran is without a doubt the best you would have seen in a long time. The vast landscapes and the barrenness of the emotions hit you hard and make you appreciate your life even more. However, the Blessy directorial is a very niche watch and it won’t fit the sensibilities of the masala going audiences. Also, the film’s length is a major cause of concern as no one in today’s times would want to sit that long for a feature presentation. Overall, it’s a good One Time Watch. I am going with 3.5 stars.