| The Goat Life | |
|---|---|
 First look poster | |
| Directed by | Blessy |
| Screenplay by | Blessy |
| Based on | Aadujeevitham by Benyamin |
| Produced by | Visual Romance |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Sunil K. S. |
| Edited by | A. Sreekar Prasad |
| Music by | A. R. Rahman |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | Prithviraj Productions |
Release date |
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Running time | 173 minutes[1] |
| Countries |
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| Language |
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| Budget | ₹82 crore[2] |
| Box office | est. ₹139–160 crore[3][4][5] |
Aadujeevitham, also credited internationally as 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 in the Gulf.[6] 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. The film was initially banned in the GCC countries other than UAE, subsequently the ban was lifted in all the countries except in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.[7][8][9] The novel was also previously banned in the same countries.
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 ₹160 crore (US$19 million) till date.[10][5] 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.
- ^ "CBFC | Search Film". cbfcindia.gov.in. Archived from the original on 25 March 2024. Retrieved 25 March 2024.
- ^ "'ആടുജീവിതം' യഥാര്ഥ ബജറ്റ് എത്ര? ബ്ലെസി വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു". Asianet News. 31 March 2024. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "ആടുജീവിതം ശരിക്കും നേടിയത്?, ആ ചിത്രം മാത്രം മുന്നില്". AsianetNews (in Malayalam). 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Aavesham and Varshangalkku Shesham Box Office: Vishu releases continue the glory streak of Mollywood; Read on". PinkVilla. 15 April 2024. Archived from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ a b "Aadujeevitham' OTT release: Prithviraj Sukumaran's survival drama to stream on Disney+ Hotstar this week". The Economic Times. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
- ^ "Najeeb, whose real life story inspired Prithviraj Sukumaran's Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life, shares his review of film". Hindustan Times. 29 March 2024. Archived from the original on 30 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
- ^ "ആടുജീവിതം റിലീസ് 28 ന്: യുഎഇ ഒഴികെയുള്ള ഗൾഫ് നാടുകളിൽ പ്രദർശനാനുമതിയില്ല". News18 മലയാളം. 23 March 2024. Archived from the original on 6 April 2024. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ https://english.janamtv.com/entertainment/100618/blessys-film-aadujeevitham-faces-ban-in-gulf-countries-limited-release-in-uae/
- ^ "Aadujeevitham: Why the Prithviraj-Blessy Film is Not Released in Gulf Countries Except UAE". 30 March 2024. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "'Aadujeevitham' X review: Movie buffs say, 'Hollywood has Christian Bale, and Mollywood has Prithviraj Sukumaran'". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 31 March 2024. Retrieved 31 March 2024.