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National Award-winning director Blessy is making a comeback of sorts after years with the Malayalam film Aadujeevitham, which releases in other languages as The Goat Life. The film, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role, will release on March 28. Talking to Film Companion, the actor explained why Malayalam filmmakers have a long list of names they like to thank at every film’s release.
‘It’s very selfish’
Anupama Chopra told Prithviraj in the interview that she recently saw Manjummel Boys and was surprised by how ‘half the Malayalam film industry’ was thanked in the opening credits, pointing out that such camaraderie doesn’t exist in Bollywood. He explained how the Malayalam film industry believes ‘anybody’s success is everybody’s success,’ citing his upcoming film as an example.
He said, “Manjummel Boys or Premalu or Bramayugam – three films come and they do really well. I don’t mean just in terms of the box office numbers. There’s a lot of conversation around these films. I for one know that I am benefitting from it. Why is there a sudden spike in interest in The Goat Life? For the next big Malayalam release? I owe that to these films. I know their success could potentially pave the way for my success. So, make no mistake. It’s very selfish that way.”
About Aadujeevitham
Blessy and Prithviraj have been trying to bring Aadujeevitham on-floors since 2009. The film is based on a novel written by Benyamin and the director signed a deal with the writer and began writing the screenplay. But budget constraints prevented the film’s progress till Jimmy Jean-Louis, who also stars in the film, and Steven Adams came on board as producers in 2015.
Oscar winners AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty worked as the film’s music and sound design respectively. The film was shot between 2018 and 2022, with the crew stranded in Jordan for 70 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic. They were later evacuated by the Indian government. Amala Paul, KR Gokul, Arab actors Talib al Balushi and Rik Aby play pivotal roles.
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