The film was initially banned in theGCC countries other than UAE, subsequently the ban was lifted in all the countries except in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The novel was also previously banned in the same countries.[5][6][7]
Blessy had wanted to adaptAadujeevitham 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 intodevelopment 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'soriginal score and songs.
Principal photography took place in phases between March 2018 and July 2022 through six schedules in the deserts ofWadi Rum,Jordan and theAlgerian desert in theSahara with some scenes shot inKerala, India. The crew was stranded in Jordan for 70 days from March to May 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic's restrictions. They were eventually repatriated to India via theIndian government's evacuation programme,Vande Bharat Mission. Filming concluded on 14 July 2022. The cinematography was done by Sunil K. S while editing was handled byA. Sreekar Prasad.
InSaudi Arabia, Najeeb Muhammed and Hakim, twoMalayali immigrants, arrive seeking a better life with visas arranged by their acquaintance Sreekumar. Stranded at theairport without knowing their employer, they are approached by a localArab who fraudulently takes them to his place . Following a long journey, they are separated, with Najeeb left to work in a remote desert herding goats.
Enduring harsh conditions and isolation, Najeeb witnesses the demise of a fellowgoatherd, realising the peril of his own situation. After years of suffering, he is reunited with Hakim, who introduces him to Ibrahim Khadiri, aSomalian goatherd with knowledge of escape routes. They seize an opportunity during 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 civilisation with the help of a passing Arab, and finds a local Malayalirestaurant 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 and 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.
In 2010, it was reported thatBlessy had embarked upon the adaptation ofBenyamin's 2008Malayalam novelAadujeevitham for a feature film. In April 2010, he told toThe Hindu that he was working on the screenplay and the film would be made on awider canvas. He also confirmed thatPrithviraj Sukumaran had been cast in the lead role.[12] 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.[13] Blessy wanted to adaptAadujeevitham 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 inSaudi Arabia where he ends up as a slave to a farm owner.[14] In 2009, Blessy entered into a contractual agreement with Benyamin after discussing and reaching a consensus with directorLal Jose. This was because Jose had previously expressed interest in adapting the novel to Benyamin.[15] Blessy began screenplay writing after obtaining the rights. He noted that the film would incorporate additional material beyond what is present in the book.[14]
Reportedly, filming was set to begin in August 2010 at the deserts ofDubai andRajasthan,[16] 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.[17] 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.[18] Jet Media Production'sJimmy Jean-Louis and Alta Global Media's Steven Adams also joined Blessy's Visual Romance Image Makers as producers.[19] According to Prithviraj, Blessy had conceivedThe Goat Life as an "event film" in the lines ofLife of Pi as the narrative goes from one event to the other non-linearly.[20]
Parallel to the new announcement, also in November 2015, Blessy told toThe Hindu that he was occupied with the research work of another film, which would be disclosed later, which would go on beforeThe Goat Life.[21] In May 2016, Blessy confirmed that he was busy with the pre-production work of theHindi remake of his Malayalam filmThanmathra (2005) andThe Goat Life would happen only after that.[22] He later updated that work of both the films were progressing simultaneously and casting and scheduling would decide which film would go on first.[23] Meanwhile, he was already through the production ofdocumentary film100 Years of Chrysostom (2018) which had begun earlier in May 2015, which he would complete in two years.[24] In October 2016, Blessy saidAadujeevitham would begin filming in early 2017 and release in 2018.[25] 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.[26]
On the challenges on adapting the novel, Blessy said, in the novel, Najeeb recollects his experience throughsoliloquy, 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, whenArbab castigates Najeeb inArabic, 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.[13] Najeeb does not understand Arabic, the makers decided to avoidsubtitles 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.[27]
Suriya was initially considered and cast for the role ofNajeeb and Blessy discussed with him, but he opted out due to busy schedules and prior commitments.[28]Prithviraj agreed to do the film while he was at the sets ofPokkiri Raja (2010) in 2008.[20] Najeeb Muhammad from Benyamin's novel is partially based on the real-life experiences of Najeeb.[29] 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.[30] For Najeeb's role, Blessy wanted an actor who could dedicate at least1+1⁄2 years for the film, which Prithviraj agreed.[14] Prithviraj had togain andlose 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. Heblacked-out while filming a scene. There was always a doctor on call at the set.[31]
As of 2015, no other actor beside Prithviraj was finalised.[14] In 2016, Blessy said he is scouting for actors inSomalia and such places.[25] 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.[32] In February 2018,Amala Paul confirmed through social media that she is playing Sainu.[33][34] 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.[35] Beside co-producing,Haitian actorJimmy Jean-Louis played a major role as Ibrahim Khadiri.[36]Omani actor Talib al Balushi played the role of Najeeb's boss.[37] Rik Aby, aSudanese actor based in theUnited Arab Emirates also played a role.[38]
Although the film is set inSaudi Arabia, the production team was not granted permission to shoot there, hence they had to move to other countries.[25] The film's major scenes takes place in desert places.Principal photography began on 1 March 2018 with a customarypooja function.[39] The first schedule began inThiruvalla,Pathanamthitta,Kerala, whereflashback 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.[40] That month, filming also took place atMuthalamada railway station inPalakkad border.[41] The Kerala schedule was completed by April first week.[42] About 25 percent of the film was finished, with major portions yet to be shot.[43] The second schedule began inJordan in January 2019.[44] Prithviraj joined the sets by the end of that month.[45]
The subsequent schedule, originally charted from March to early April 2020 in theWadi Rum desert in Jordan, was delayed by theCOVID-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 Omanevacuated its citizens. Similarly, aSudanese actor was quarantined,[46] and some actors were not able to reach the location due to thecancellation of flights.[47] Nevertheless, the shoot continued with Prithviraj.[46] After Jordan initiatedlockdown,Kerala chief minister directedNORKA to provide assistance throughIndian embassy.[48] Since international flights were cancelled, the Jordanian authorities allowed the crew to continue shooting while remaining isolated.[49] After eight days of filming, they were forced to stop on 24 March,[50] but they managed to obtain permission to shoot for another 17 days.[46][51] However, the permission was revoked on 27 March after acurfew was imposed.[52] Blessy then requested assistance from theKerala government, through Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, to repatriate them.[53][54] They stayed idle for the next 32 days, during which Prithviraj further reduced hisbody mass.[50] When restrictions eased, filming resumed in April last week[47] and continued until 17 May.[55] The 58-member crew, along with other Indian citizens, were repatriated by theGovernment of India as part ofVande Bharat Mission and reached India on 22 May.[47] In their 70-day stay in the desert camp, they filmed for 25 days.[46] Although filming was not finished there, crucial scenes were shot, which required them to return at a later date.[47] 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.[50]
The next schedule began in April 2022 atTimimoun in theSahara desert,Algeria.[44] As per their plan, they needed 40 days in Algeria and another 35 days in Jordan.[56] Algerian schedule continued to May.[57] In the same month, shooting relocated to Wadi Rum, Jordan.[58][44] Jordanian schedule was completed on 14 June, thus concluding the film's international schedules.[59] Filming went toPerunad,Ranni, Kerala on 22 June for the final schedule.[60] Jail sequence was shot there on set.[61] Filming in its entirety waswrapped up on 14 July 2022.[62]K. U. Mohanan and Sunil K. S. were the cinematographers,Resul Pookutty was thesound designer,A. Sreekar Prasad was the editor,Stephy Zaviour was the costume designer, and Ranjith Ambady was the makeup artist.[63] In October 2022, Prithviraj told toVariety that the film is undergoing post-production and is aiming for a film festival slot in 2023.[64]
Theoriginal score and songs for the film were composed byA. R. Rahman in his third film in Malayalam afterYoddha (1992) andMalayankunju (2022).[65][66][58] The soundtrack featured four songs and an instrumental track with lyrics byRafeeq Ahamed.[67] A grand audio launch function of the film was held on 10 March 2024 at the Adlux International Convention Centre inAngamaly, with the film's cast and crew members along with prominent celebrities in attendance.[68][69] However, except for the promotional video song "Hope" which released on social media platforms on the same day,[70] the soundtrack was released a week later.[67]
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, includingcolour grading and music, was incomplete, with the music only composed on akeyboard. Blessy disowned it as the official theatrical release trailer.[71] Despite this, the production team officially released the same trailer shortly afterward.[72] In late-November 2023, the official social media handles for the film were revealed. In late-December, the team asked fans todesign posters for their participation at a special event with Prithviraj and Blessy.[73]
On 10 January 2024, the first look of the film was revealed byPrabhas through his social media handles, which featured Prithviraj in a bearded and gloomy appearance as Najeeb Muhammed.[74][75] Blessy and Benyamin attended the seventh edition of theKerala Literature Festival held on 13 January, to share their insights on the adaptation from novel to film.[76][77] 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.[78][79] On 11 February, the team shared a video subtitledCorona Days, revealing on the turbulent production where the team stranded in Jordan during the COVID-19 pandemic.[80]
An official website for the film was launched by Blessy and Rahman in late-February 2024.[81][82] The film's theatrical trailer was unveiled on 9 March 2024.[83][84][85] The trailer was overwhelmingly well received, with media outlets such asFilm Companion describing the visuals as "spellbinding",[86] andThe Indian Express-based critic compared Prithviraj's performance to that ofLeonardo DiCaprio's inThe Revenant (2015).[87]
In late-November 2023, it was announced that the film would be released theatrically on 10 April 2024, ahead of theEid al-Fitr andVishu weekend.[88][89][90] However, in February, the film was advanced to 28 March 2024.[91][92][93]
On the opening day of its release, the film collected ₹16.03 crore worldwide with ₹8.85 crore from India of which ₹5.85 crore coming from Kerala.[96][97] On its second day the film grossed ₹7.20 crore in India bringing its two-day running total at the Indian box office to ₹16 crore.[98] In its first four-day weekend the film grossed ₹34 crore in India which is the biggest ever start for a Malayalam film at the Indian box office, beatingLucifer and grossed ₹23.25 crore in Kerala which was highest weekend gross in Kerala for Malayalam films surpassingBheeshma Parvam.[99] The total collection ofThe Goat Life in its first four day weekend worldwide was ₹65 crore; the highest ever for a Malayalam film.[100] The film grossed ₹75 crore in 5 days of its release registering the biggest first Monday collection for a Malayalam film.[101] The film grossed over ₹87 crore (£8.23M, $10.4M) worldwide in the first week of its release.[8] It crossed ₹100 crore at the worldwide box office in 9 days of its release becoming the fastest malayalam film to reach the mark surpassing2018 (11 days).[102][103] The worldwide gross was ₹125 crore in 14 days.[104] In 25 days, the film grossed ₹150 crore worldwide.[105][106] It concluded its run with worldwide gross estimated to be ₹158.50 crore.[107]
The Goat Life received positive reviews from critics, who praised Prithviraj's performance, technical aspects and the editing.[108] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 78% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10.[109][110]
Arjun Menon ofRediff.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."[111] Anandu Suresh ofThe Indian Express gave 4/5 stars and wrote "While Blessy meticulously selected only the necessary moments for the film adaptation ofThe Goat Life, his script fell short throughout in building sufficient tension."[112] Janani K ofIndia Today gave 3/5 stars and wrote "Aadujeevitham is an immersive film that banks on Prithviraj's performance and its technical brilliance."[113]
S R Praveen ofThe Hindu wrote,"If hard work were the sole benchmark for a film, Aadujeevitham would rank right up there among the best. And, quite a lot of the hard work does pay off too. Yet, it leaves one with the wish that the script had enough to break the monotony that sets in at some points."[114] Latha Sreenivasan ofThe Hindustan Times wrote,"The Prithviraj Sukumaran film must be watched on the big screen for a wholesome experience; no other actor could have done the role ".[115] Nirmal Jovial ofThe Week wrote, "Blessy devoted 16 years to sculpting this visual masterpiece, meticulously tailored for the theatrical experience.[116] Arjun Menon of theFilm Companion wrote, "Aadujeevitham is a brisk, relentless exercise in storytelling that is anchored by Prithviraj Sukumaean's career best performance and Blessy's inspired vision.[117]
Mukund Setlur of theDeccan Herald wrote, "Actor Prithviraj and the cinematography team are the soul of this film. The camera work is top-notch - it skilfully captures the desolate deserts of Jordan and Algeria."[118] Nishad Thaivalappil ofNetwork18Group wrote, " The acting, cinematography, story, and screenplay, everything makes it a cinematic experience you should not miss out on."[119]
The film was initially banned in theGCC countries other than UAE, subsequently the ban was lifted in all the countries except in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. The novel was also previously banned in the same countries.[120][121][122]
It was rumoured that Talib Al Balushi was barred from entering Saudi Arabia for his role. The actor also faced cyberattacks due to that.[123] Talib later denied all these.[124][125][126] Reaction to the film inSaudi Arabia was overwhelmingly negative, with critics accusing it of damaging the country's image and calling for aboycott of Netflix for streaming the movie.[127] Akef Najem says he regrets acting and that he didn't fully read the script back then.[128][129][130]
