Director Blessy’s survival drama Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), featuring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role, continues its successful box office run following overwhelmingly positive responses. Adapted from Benjamin’s 2008 novel of the same name, Aadujeevitham draws inspiration from the life and experiences of Najeeb Muhammad alias Shukoor, who, in the ’90s, left his homeland for the Persian Gulf states to support his family but ended up working as a slave/goatherd in a desert for over three years instead.
One of the key factors contributing to the film’s acclaim is Prithviraj’s portrayal of Najeeb, widely regarded as one of his best performances yet. Prithviraj’s recent revelation that he hadn’t met the real-life figure until after the movie’s production concluded surprised many, raising questions about how he captured the essence of the character without direct interaction.
After the film’s success, Prithviraj engaged in a heartfelt conversation with Najeeb, bridging the gap between reel and real experiences. In the endearing conversation, Prithviraj told Najeeb, “In 2008, when Blessy first told me about doing this movie, my initial thought was, how do I approach this character? Do I come down and talk to you about who you really are, or do I try to understand the character Najeeb that Benyamin wrote or the Najeeb that Blessy has in his mind? This was the confusion I had. Finally, Blessy and I decided that I should play the Najeeb I visualize in my mind based on the novel and the Najeeb that Blessy visualized. That’s the Najeeb you’ll see in the movie. There is a big difference.”
During their conversation, Prithviraj asked Najeeb if he, during his goat days, could ever keep track of days and weeks. Najeeb responded with a depressing no. “The sun used to rise and set… that’s all I knew,” he said, leaving the actor speechless.
Watch Prithviraj and Najeeb’s conversation here:
“I always thought that I’ll never escape. There were no more gods left for me to pray to. I realized that it was better to die than continue living there. Many times, I lied down on the sand so that some creatures would bite me and I would die. But then, when I woke up, all I could think of was about my family. My wife was eight months pregnant when I landed there. Did she deliver a baby or not was the only thing I had in my mind,” he further said. The video also features recollections by Najeeb’s wife and son.
“At times, I have felt that you are the person chosen by god, from among many people who have endured such difficulties, to share with the world your story. You are god’s chosen one,” Prithviraj said, making Najeeb give out a painful smile. “Will you ever revisit that place if given a chance,” asked the actor, to which Najeeb replied, “No, I won’t,” instantaneously. “It’s still a nightmare.”
“Even my wife and other members of my family learned all that I went through only after the novel came out and that too through the work,” he added.
