The Goat Life

Aadujeevitham or 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 in Saudi Arabia as goatherds on secluded farms in the deserts by the native Arabs. 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 and grossed over inr 1600000000 till date. The Goat Life is currently the 3rd highest grossing Malayalam film of all time, the 2nd highest grossing Malayalam film of 2024, the 4th highest grossing South Indian film of the year as well as one of the highest grossing Indian films 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.

Cast

 * Prithviraj Sukumaran as Najeeb Muhammed
 * K. R. Gokul as Hakeem
 * Amala Paul as Sainu, Najeeb's wife
 * Jimmy Jean-Louis as Ibrahim Khadiri
 * Shobha Mohan as Ummah, Najeeb's mother
 * Talib Al Balushi as Kafeel
 * Rik Aby as Jasser
 * Nasar Karutheni as Kunjikka
 * Robin Das as Hindiwala
 * Baburaj Thiruvalla as Karuvatta Sreekumar
 * Akef Najem as Rich Man in Rolls Royce

Development
In 2010, it was reported that Blessy had embarked upon the adaptation of Benyamin's 2008 Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham for a feature film. In April 2010, he told to The Hindu that he was working on the screenplay and the film would be made on a wider canvas. He also confirmed that Prithviraj Sukumaran had been cast in the lead role. Blessy had been contemplating the adaptation of a literary work for cinema ever since he had a discourse with journalist and writer V. K. Ravi Varma Thampuran about the waning tradition of adapting literary works, which was popular in Malayalam cinema during the 1970s and 1980s. Blessy wanted to adapt Aadujeevitham for a big-budget film ever since he read it in 2008, "I was particularly attracted to the visual images that came through while reading the book". In the novel, Haripad native Najeeb Muhammad goes missing in Saudi Arabia where he ends up as a slave to a farm owner. In 2009, Blessy entered into a contractual agreement with Benyamin after discussing and reaching a consensus with director Lal Jose. This was because Jose had previously expressed interest in adapting the novel to Benyamin. Blessy began screenplay writing after obtaining the rights. He noted that the film would incorporate additional material beyond what is present in the book.

Reportedly, filming was set to begin in August 2010 at the deserts of Dubai and Rajasthan, but that did not happen. In 2012, Benyamin said that the film was still on discussion phase and had been postponed for the time being since its production cost was found to be not viable for a Malayalam film. Blessy had been discussing the film with Prithviraj since 2008. In 2015, recalling the film's stagnant development to date, Prithviraj said that there were occasions when they could work out the film, albeit with some compromises, but Blessy insisted on waiting for the right producer since he was not ready to compromise his vision. Jet Media Production's Jimmy Jean-Louis and Alta Global Media's Steven Adams also joined Blessy's Visual Romance Image Makers as producers. According to Prithviraj, Blessy had conceived The Goat Life as an "event film" in the lines of Life of Pi as the narrative goes from one event to the other non-linearly.

Parallel to the new announcement, also in November 2015, Blessy told to The Hindu that he was occupied with the research work of another film, which would be disclosed later, which would go on before The Goat Life. In May 2016, Blessy confirmed that he was busy with the pre-production work of the Hindi remake of his Malayalam film Thanmathra (2005) and The Goat Life would happen only after that. He later updated that work of both the films were progressing simultaneously and casting and scheduling would decide which film would go on first. Meanwhile, he was already through the production of documentary film 100 Years of Chrysostom (2018) which had begun earlier in May 2015, which he would complete in two years. In October 2016, Blessy said Aadujeevitham would begin filming in early 2017 and release in 2018. In mid-2017, he said that they had the screenplay ready but the locations had not been decided and production would start in November 2017 and the film would take 18 months to release.

On the challenges on adapting the novel, Blessy said, in the novel, Najeeb recollects his experience through soliloquy, which is easily conveyed through literary work, but it is difficult to depict on screen. The film's narrative is entirely different from the book. For example, in the latter half of the book, when Arbab castigates Najeeb in Arabic, readers read it in Malayalam, whereas the film has to demonstrate how much the language distresses Najeeb. Unlike the book, the film cannot afford to be vague since viewers see everything on screen and may question the logic presented. For instance, the book says that Najeeb could not find a shadow under a stick, but there is a farm that can cast a shadow, "in a literary work, you don't have to address that because readers travel the route the writer takes them on". Moreover, the film has to show Najeeb's physical transformation. Above everything else, the film's visuals must surpass those imagined by the readers. Najeeb does not understand Arabic, the makers decided to avoid subtitles for those parts to provide viewers with the same experience as Najeeb. According to Prithviraj, "the film has this huge liberty of not having a language", as only about 20 percent of the film contains dialogues.

Casting
Suriya was initially considered and cast for the role of Najeeb and Blessy discussed with him, but he opted out due to busy schedules and prior commitments. Prithviraj agreed to do the film while he was at the sets of Pokkiri Raja (2010) in 2008. Najeeb Muhammad from Benyamin's novel is partially based on the real-life experiences of Najeeb. Prithviraj said, although he is not a pious person, Najeeb has staunch focus on faith. There is a physical, psychological, and spiritual journey for the character. For three years, he interacts more with animals than humans, so he would "become" one among. For Najeeb's role, Blessy wanted an actor who could dedicate at least $1 1/2$ years for the film, which Prithviraj agreed. Prithviraj had to gain and lose weight to show Najeeb's physical transformation on screen, he gained weight to 98 kilograms for playing the character in the starting sequences of the film with a pot belly and had to lose weight to 67 kilograms by the end of the film. Having lost 31 kilograms, Prithviraj said he followed an unhealthy diet which he would not recommend anyone to follow. He blacked-out while filming a scene. There was always a doctor on call at the set.

As of 2015, no other actor beside Prithviraj was finalised. In 2016, Blessy said he is scouting for actors in Somalia and such places. In 2017, a casting call was released by the makers through social media inviting applicants for a young male and female and a middle-aged female. In February 2018, Amala Paul confirmed through social media that she is playing Sainu. Sainu, Najeeb's wife, is portrayed in different phases of her life. According to Blessy, the role would tap the potential of Amala, considering the roles she had done so far. Beside co-producing, Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis played a major role as Ibrahim Khadiri. Omani actor Talib al Balushi played the role of Najeeb's boss. Rik Aby, a Sudanese actor based in the United Arab Emirates also played a role.

Filming
Although the film is set in Saudi Arabia, the production team was not granted permission to shoot there, hence they had to move to other countries. On his decision to shoot the film in 3D, Blessy said "the 3D technology will really help in elevating the overall mood. The desert wind, a small movement of the goat, the loneliness of Najeeb ... the 3D tool will help in capturing these emotions and transforming it to a different aesthetic level". The film's major scenes takes place in desert places. Principal photography began on 1 March 2018 with a customary pooja function. The first schedule began in Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, Kerala, where flashback scenes of Najeeb's life before he arrived in Saudi Arabia was shot. At that time, the plan was to complete filming in 150 days spanning 18 months. That month, filming also took place at Muthalamada railway station in Palakkad border. The Kerala schedule was completed by April first week. About 25 percent of the film was finished, with major portions yet to be shot. The second schedule began in Jordan in January 2019. Prithviraj joined the sets by the end of that month.

The subsequent schedule, originally charted from March to early April 2020 in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan, was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic in Jordan. Filming finally began on 16 March. However, Omani actor Talib al Balushi and his translator were quarantined, causing him to miss the shoot after Oman evacuated its citizens. Similarly, a Sudanese actor was quarantined, and some actors were not able to reach the location due to the cancellation of flights. Nevertheless, the shoot continued with Prithviraj. After Jordan initiated lockdown, Kerala chief minister directed NORKA to provide assistance through Indian embassy. Since international flights were cancelled, the Jordanian authorities allowed the crew to continue shooting while remaining isolated. After eight days of filming, they were forced to stop on 24 March, but they managed to obtain permission to shoot for another 17 days. However, the permission was revoked on 27 March after a curfew was imposed. Blessy then requested assistance from the Kerala government, through Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, to repatriate them. They stayed idle for the next 32 days, during which Prithviraj further reduced his body mass. When restrictions eased, filming resumed in April last week and continued until 17 May. The 58-member crew, along with other Indian citizens, were repatriated by the Government of India as part of Vande Bharat Mission and reached India on 22 May. In their 70-day stay in the desert camp, they filmed for 25 days. Although filming was not finished there, crucial scenes were shot, which required them to return at a later date. Even with their original plan, they had to return for scenes featuring an American actor. About 50 percent of the film was completed with the schedule.

The next schedule began in April 2022 at Timimoun in the Sahara desert, Algeria. As per their plan, they needed 40 days in Algeria and another 35 days in Jordan. Algerian schedule continued to May. In the same month, shooting relocated to Wadi Rum, Jordan. Jordanian schedule was completed on 14 June, thus concluding the film's international schedules. Filming went to Perunad, Ranni, Kerala on 22 June for the final schedule. Jail sequence was shot there on set. Filming in its entirety was wrapped up on 14 July 2022. K. U. Mohanan and Sunil K. S. were the cinematographers, Resul Pookutty was the sound designer, A. Sreekar Prasad was the editor, Stephy Zaviour was the costume designer, and Ranjith Ambady was the makeup artist. In October 2022, Prithviraj told to Variety that the film is undergoing post-production and is aiming for a film festival slot in 2023.

The film became the 2nd most expensive Malayalam film ever.

Music
The original score and songs for the film were composed by A. R. Rahman in his third film in Malayalam after Yoddha (1992) and Malayankunju (2022). The soundtrack featured four songs and an instrumental track with lyrics by Rafeeq Ahamed, and Vijay Yesudas, Chinmayi Sripaada, Rakshita Suresh, Sana Moussa, Raja Hasan, Murtuza and Faiz Mustafa were the singers. A grand audio launch function of the film was held on 10 March 2024 at the Adlux International Convention Centre in Angamaly, with the film's cast and crew members along with prominent celebrities in attendance. However, except for the promotional video song "Hope" which released on social media platforms on the same day, the soundtrack was released a week later.

Marketing
In April 2023, Deadline Hollywood released an unexpected trailer for the film. Blessy expressed dissatisfaction, clarifying that the trailer was intended for agents for screening at film festivals and business purposes, not for public release. He emphasised that the post-production work on the clips, including colour grading and music, was incomplete, with the music only composed on a keyboard. Blessy disowned it as the official theatrical release trailer. Despite this, the production team officially released the same trailer shortly afterward. In late-November 2023, the official social media handles for the film were revealed. In late-December, the team asked fans to design posters for their participation at a special event with Prithviraj and Blessy.

On 10 January 2024, the first look of the film was revealed by Prabhas through his social media handles, which featured Prithviraj in a bearded and gloomy appearance as Najeeb Muhammed. Blessy and Benyamin attended the seventh edition of the Kerala Literature Festival held on 13 January, to share their insights on the adaptation from novel to film. Two more posters were revealed on 17 and 31 January, one featuring Prithviraj's gloomy look and the other that featured the actor in a younger look, reminiscing the character earlier days. On 11 February, the team shared a video subtitled Corona Days, revealing on the turbulent production where the team stranded in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An official website for the film was launched by Blessy and Rahman in late-February 2024. The film's theatrical trailer was unveiled on 9 March 2024. The trailer was overwhelmingly well received, with media outlets such as Film Companion describing the visuals as "spellbinding", and The Indian Express-based critic compared Prithviraj's performance to that of Leonardo DiCaprio's in The Revenant (2015).

Theatrical
During the promotion of Kaapa (2022) in December 2022, Prithviraj revealed that The Goat Life would premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival if post-production work completes on time. In such a scenario, the film's worldwide theatrical release would be in the latter half of 2023. However, if the film is not able to make it to Cannes, it will premiere at the next major film festival. In May 2023, following the absence from Cannes, Blessy disclosed a strategy to debut the film at the Venice Film Festival, with a subsequent theatrical release in October 2023 contingent upon completing the remaining post-production works by mid-June.

In late-November 2023, it was announced that the film would be released theatrically on 10 April 2024, ahead of the Eid al-Fitr and Vishu weekend. However, in February, the film was advanced to 28 March 2024.

The film will be distributed by Prithviraj Productions in Kerala, Hombale Films in Karnataka, Mythri Movie Makers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Red Giant Movies in Tamil Nadu and AA Films in North India.

Home media
The film's satellite rights were acquired by Asianet. The film was premiered on Netflix from 19 July 2024.

Box office
On the opening day of its release, the film collected approximately ₹16.7 crores, with ₹5.63 crores coming from Kerala.

Critical response
Aadujeevitham received positive reviews from critics, who praised Prithviraj's performance and the editing.

Arjun Menon of Rediff.com rated 4/5 stars and noted, "Aadujeevitham marks a new direction for Malayalam cinema, where ambition meets resources and the right people, all in favour of stories that deserve to be told on the biggest stage of them all." Anandu Suresh of The Indian Express gave 4/5 stars and wrote "While Blessy meticulously selected only the necessary moments for the film adaptation of The Goat Life, his script fell short throughout in building sufficient tension." Janani K of India Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Aadujeevitham is an immersive film that banks on Prithviraj’s performance and its technical brilliance."