“Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life” 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 labourer, 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. Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a newly married Malayali, is looking for ways to make a quick buck in any Gulf country so that he can send the money back home and improve his financial condition. He soon finds himself stranded at the airport of a Gulf country after making his way there along with another fellow traveller, Hakeem. They are picked up by a Kafil (owner) who takes them to a sheep farm in the middle of the desert and then unleashes hell on them both. For the next 3 years, Najeeb and Hakeem suffer separately as they are denied the basic amenities of human existence like food, and water to wash oneself, and are beaten mercilessly and regularly. They are forced to live among the sheep, and soon a time comes when they start identifying with the sheep. Najeeb nearly gives up hope of ever getting back to his motherland, but after a chance encounter with a Somalian worker who has prior knowledge of the place, Najeeb and Hakeem hatch a plan to escape their gruesome existence. What happens next is what the film is all about.
Blessy’s persistence and perseverance in adapting “Aadujeevitham” for the big screen:
Director Blessy expressed his inclination to adapt celebrated Malayalam literature into cinema and has been keen on adapting “Aadujeevitham” since he read the novel post its publication in 2008. The film was in talks as early as 2010 with Prithviraj slated to play Najeeb, but financial constraints had the better of the project. Blessy was not willing to compromise on his vision for the film, and he was never able to secure the funding needed for the treatment that the story deserved. Hence, the film was postponed numerous times, even though the screenplay for it was ready. It was only after Jimmy Jean-Louis, who also plays a pivotal character in the film, joined the project as an executive producer that the film finally took off.
Najeeb’s Heart-Breaking Struggle and Journey into Despair:
“Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life” is nearly 3 hours long and tells a story that, at many junctures, becomes difficult to watch. The film begins by intercutting Najeeb’s travel to Saudi Arabia, his initial days under his Kafil, and his flashbacks of his past life in Kerala. Najeeb had opted to travel to Saudi Arabia in search of quick and substantial earnings. He loved his life in Kerala, but he was forced to make the decision to improve his financial condition after his marriage to Sainu (Amala Paul) and the couple expecting their first child. However, what he encounters in Saudi Arabia quickly dissipates any chance of him earning anything more than just leaving the place with his life and dignity intact. As he spends increasingly harsher days in the desert, the memories of his wife and his life in Kerala constantly give him hope and strength to endure what life is throwing at him.
However, as time passes and the tortures mount, Blessy stops showing us the flashbacks, as if he is informing us that Najeeb was finally worn down and dispirited by the life that was forced on him. He had lost his connection with the sweet memories of his country and his wife and had surrendered to his cruel fate in the desert. This very thought was impossible for me to swallow. I wanted the man to be hopeful. I wanted him to dream about his wife and his mother and the greener pastures of Kerala, but he was not. While I was a little restless when the initial and prolonged flashback sequences were unfolding and was eager to get to what was in store for Najeeb in the desert, when the tragedy finally hit, I couldn’t help but want to get back to the flashbacks momentarily to escape the onslaught of the repulsive state of affairs that Najeeb was thrust into. Seeing a well-endowed and gentle man turning into a goat himself, living among them and gradually losing his range of speech and spoken words, was not just bewildering but also heart-breaking.
Language Barrier Contributing to Unique Tension and Frustration:
The film unfolds in three languages: Hindi (the primary dubbed language), Arabic, and Tamil. I don’t know if this was intentional or just an oversight, there are no subtitles for the conversations between Najeeb and the Arabs and Tamils. If this was intentional, then it was a masterstroke, as I was increasingly frustrated by my lack of understanding of what the Kafils were telling Najeeb. I could understand what they were talking about among themselves since the subtitles for these portions were present, but never for the parts involving the Kafils and Najeeb. A similar ordeal was present when Najeeb tried to get some information out of the one Tamil man who was enslaved along with him at the farm. By not having subtitles, for whatever reason, the predicament of Najeeb was better illustrated than it could have been done in any other manner. Najeeb’s surrender to his fate is wonderfully illustrated in a poignant scene when his brother comes to him with help and plots along with him to escape from the farm, but Najeeb initially is apprehensive and tries to dissuade his brother, stating that they are in the middle of the desert and there was no escape from it.
Could this be Prithviraj Sukumaran’s career-best performance?
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s transformation into this goat-like being from being a gentleman and a resourceful human being was horrifying. The transformation doesn’t happen in one go. It takes time and is pulled out categorically to ensure that the impact of the transformation is felt throughout the narrative, and it does. As minor privileges of being a human being that we take for granted are brutally taken away from Najeeb on the farm, we see the detrimental effect of it on his psyche and his body. He doesn’t just thin and diminish in his physique but literally erodes. His psyche, his behaviour, his mannerisms, his twitching, and his hobbling because of a broken leg that heals in its broken anatomy are all breathtakingly brought to life through the performance of Prithviraj, who has outdone himself here. This is easily his best performance to date.
The Cinematography and The Original Score Enhance the Beauty and The Horror of The Film:
There are two more things about the film that add to the horror and beauty of it. There are times when the film looks beautiful and feels horrifying at the same time, and this feeling is elevated by what is playing in the background. A.R. Rahman’s original score for the film, including the songs that are included, creates an atmosphere that is an addition to the already dramatic, tragic, and heart-breaking predicament of Najeeb and others like him. The music comes and goes subtly, but while it is present, it successfully elevates the feelings and emotions encompassed in a particular sequence. The background score is particularly haunting, even though the songs may feel a little generic compared to some of Rahman’s better efforts.
The cinematography of the film is another aspect that sets it apart. The resplendent visuals that show us the better life that Najeeb had in Kerala are thoughtfully contrasted with the visceral look at things in his current and unforgiving conditions. The toggling between the two in the first half, using some astounding transitions, worked fantastically well for me and went a long way in defining the quantum of tragedy that had befallen Najeeb. It would not be wrong to credit the cinematography, the transitions, and the thoughtful editing of some of these sequences for having the kind of impact that this portion of the film was able to have on me, in addition to the storytelling, performances, and background score. The desert landscape is breathtakingly captured in its beauty, but at the same time, the director and the cinematographer never forget to remind us with their visuals of the unforgiving and harsh nature of the topography. The desert, known for devouring men and their indomitable spirits, is portrayed with a starkness that contrasts sharply with its allure.
There are at least two sequences where the computer-generated imagery (CGI) of the film astounded me. One scene involves CGI vultures attacking Najeeb and another one where Najeeb and his compatriots come up against some snakes. I never expected the CGI of the film to be this good.
Final Words:
Unfortunately, “Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life” is no longer playing in theatres in Guwahati. I was able to watch the film at a late-night screening just a day before it left theatres. However, I can vouch for the fact that this is a film tailor-made to be seen in theatres. The film’s impact will not be the same when you watch it at home with ten other things happening in the background. The interval point of the film sent shivers down my spine, and I am experiencing the same feeling just by thinking about that portion, how it was built up, and what we are shown before the screen turns dark. Such an experience can only be possible when you are experiencing the film in a theatre.
Having said that, for those who missed it in theatres, I urge them to watch this film when it comes out on OTT platforms. Make it a point to watch it at night without any distractions and on the largest screen possible with Dolby surround sound. Keep the lights in the room switched off and let the visual and auditory magic of the film engulf you with its power and poignancy.
This is easily one of the best films to have come out of Indian cinema in a long time, and it will not just impact its viewers but will also shock them with its storytelling and drama. Just to think that this is a true story makes me even sadder, especially after what Najeeb realizes about his Kafils in the last scene of the film.
Rating: 4/5 (4 out of 5 Stars)
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