Survival dramas seem to be the flavour of the season in Malayalam cinema, going by the success of the recent release Manjummel Boys. Following in its footsteps, Aadujeevitham-The Goat Life, directed by Blessy, is another compelling survival drama, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead.
Adapted from Benyamin’s bestselling 2008 novel Goat Days, The Goat Life follows the harrowing journey of Najeeb Muhammed (Prithviraj Sukumaran), a happily married man — his wife Sainu is played by Amala Paul — who leaves Kerala to land a cushy job in the Gulf.
Najeeb sells off his property to get a visa, and accompanied by his friend Hakim (KR Gokul), arrives in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. They follow a local man whom they believe to be their employer, only to be led to an unknown place. Separated from Hakim and stranded in the desert without any link to the outside world, Najeeb, who speaks only Malayalam, struggles to communicate with Kafeel (Talib), his supposed boss.
Left to fend for himself in the harsh desert, Najeeb becomes a slave, tasked with herding goats amidst scant food and water. His desire to return home intensifies as days turn into weeks, months and years of slavery. Life offers a glimmer of hope one day when Najeeb comes across Hakim in the desert. They decide to escape with the help of Hakim’s co-worker Ibrahim Khadiri (Jimmy Jean-Louis). How Najeeb finds his way back home forms the rest of The Goat Life.
Prithviraj Sukumaran’s complete immersion in the role, both physically and emotionally, makes this incredible story alive. Director Blessy meticulously portrays every step of Najeeb’s transformation and adaptation to his new surroundings and reality. The change from a spirited and healthy Najeeb, swimming with abandon in the lush Kerala backwaters, to a gaunt and shaggy figure tending to goats in an arid landscape is mirrored through Sunil KS’s breathtaking visuals.
His emotional journey is captured largely through his developing bond with the animals in his charge — from his initial interaction with a young goat early on during his captivity to his poignant farewell to the herd, leading to the climactic moment when an emaciated Najeeb walks naked to the water tank for a bath after years of deprivation.
A.R. Rahman's background score, blending various musical styles to encapsulate the lives of the characters in both the Gulf and India — specially the haunting tunes of Periyone Rahmane — adds another layer to this survival drama.
