Big Miss at National Awards? Aadujeevitham Not in Winners List

The 71st National Film Awards were announced this week, honouring the best Indian films released and certified in 2023. As always, the awards covered multiple categories across languages, recognising performances, direction and technical contributions.

Among the films expected to feature in the winners list was Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), a Malayalam survival drama starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. While the film released in theatres in March 2024, its Malayalam version was certified by the censor board on December 31, 2023, making it eligible for this year’s awards.

Directed by Blessy, the film is based on the true story of Najeeb, a migrant worker from Kerala who was trapped in slavery in a desert in Saudi Arabia. The project was in the making for over a decade, with shooting taking place across extreme desert locations. The film’s production was interrupted several times, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prithviraj underwent a massive physical transformation for the role, while the film also featured music by A.R. Rahman and extensive use of visual effects and sound design. All these efforts had created strong expectations that Aadujeevitham would be a frontrunner at the National Awards, especially in categories like Best Actor, Best Feature Film or Best Director.

However, the film did not receive any recognition, which has come as a surprise to many in the industry and among audiences. Unless the jury decided to consider it for the 2024 cycle based on its release date, the lack of awards for a film of such scale and effort is being seen as a big miss.

With so much work, time, and passion behind the project, its absence from the list has led to discussions about how selections are being made and whether the film was fairly considered this year.