“Experience the gripping survival journey of Najeeb in ‘The Goat Life,’ a Malayalam drama with stunning visuals and AR Rahman’s emotive score.”
Survival dramas have resonated with audiences, as evidenced by the recent super hit Malayalam film Manjummel Boys. Following closely behind is Aadujeevitham, or The Goat Life, a Malayalam survival drama starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. Interestingly, while both of these films are based on real events, they differ in almost every other way. The Goat Life, directed by Blessy, is based on writer Benyamin’s novel The Goat Days, which tells the story of Malayali immigrant Najeeb Muhammad. Also, read the exclusive interview with Prithviraj Sukumaran.
He notices him as a slave grouping goats in the middle of the desert, with little food and almost no water, and he longs to run away and return home. How does Najeeb survive this horrific life of torture and slavery and return home as the days, weeks, months, and even years pass? Here’s where Ibrahim Khadiri (Jimmy Jean-Louis) and Hakim come in. The rest of The Goat Life is described below.
The Concept
Najeeb (Prithviraj Sukumaran) is happily married to Saini (Amala Paul) in Kerala when he decides to work in the Gulf to provide a better life for his family. He meets his friend, Hakim, in Saudi Arabia and is led to an unknown location by a local man they mistake for their boss. Najeeb is dropped off in the desert with a local farmer, with no access to the outside world. He only speaks Malayalam, and his desperate attempts to communicate with the boss, Kafeel, prove futile.
Director’s Mastery
Director Blessy chose a difficult story to bring to life on screen, but he did an excellent job. He isn’t rushing to tell Najeeb’s story, and you can see how he adjusts to his new life. The stunning visuals beautifully depict Najeeb’s transformation from a happy and healthy swimmer in the state of Kerala backwaters to a starving, truly thin, and dirty one in the desert among rugged goats.
AR Rahman’s music helps you connect with the film.
AR Rahman, the music maestro, has elevated the film to a new level with his background score. The music in director Blessy’s films is extremely important in expressing the tone and emotions of the film, and The Goat Life’s score is no exception. The BGM combines various musical styles (Arabic, Indian, Islamic, etc.) and depicts the lives of these men in the Gulf and India. In effect, Rahman’s background music connects you emotionally with this hard-hitting survival drama, from the Kerala backwaters to the fierce desert sandstorms and howling winds to Najeeb’s grief and loss.