Aadujeevitham movie review: Prithviraj delivers one of his finest performances in Blessy’s stunning survival drama

Unlike the novel, which begins (spoilers ahead) after Najeeb escapes from the desert, Blessy’s film opens with a stunning visual of a sandstorm, followed by a shot of the tranquil desert. The camera gradually pans upward from the dunes to the sky, focusing on a constellation. In a seamless transition, the sky transforms into its reflection in the water, into which Najeeb dips his face and slowly drinks, giving the impression of consuming something divine. As the camera zooms out, it becomes clear that Najeeb is in the masara, surrounded by a herd of goats, living his Goat Life.

At the start itself, Blessy, who also penned the script, clarifies that he has taken liberties to alter Benyamin’s story. Nonetheless, given the novel’s heavy reliance on Najeeb’s monologues and inner thoughts, there were apprehensions about how Blessy would handle these aspects. However, he adeptly replaced the monologues and inner thoughts with Prithviraj’s acting prowess and the actor, fully aware of this task, went 100 extra miles to deliver a compelling performance. Although initially, during Najeeb’s arrival in Saudi, it seemed that Prithviraj was struggling to portray the character, especially due to the usual stiffness in his dialogue delivery, he quickly stepped up his game once Najeeb’s distress began.

Watch Aadujeevitham trailer here:

While the novel had the luxury of concealing what his bosses were telling Najeeb in Arabic, because he didn’t know the language, the movie had to find another method since the bosses were constantly shown. Blessy demonstrated brilliance by refraining from using subtitles while the Arabs were talking to Najeeb or his companion Hakeem (who was soon sent off to another masara), allowing viewers to experience their struggles. And, subtitles were only employed when the Arabs conversed among themselves, ensuring that we remained informed.

Though Aadujeevitham does not depict the pain inflicted on Najeeb by his bosses as extensively as the novel, it nonetheless effectively utilises the few instances shown to convey the depth of his suffering in the desert, where he is deprived even of the right to bath or clean himself since the Arabs purchase water for huge sums. He learns each lesson in this new world through severe assaults from his bosses, ranging from whiplashes to the traumatic incident of having his foot struck by a shotgun, resulting in a broken leg. Initially viewed as an outsider by the goats, they, however, gradually develop empathy towards Najeeb as they witness his plight, highlighting animals’ ability to comprehend emotions often overlooked by humans. In a poignant scene, following Najeeb’s injury and cry to Allah, a goat approaches him, gently comforting him and emitting a loud bleat, prompting others to gather around and escort him back to safety, thus shielding Najeeb from further harm.

From allowing Najeeb to see his reflection after months of living in unhygienic conditions to including a scene where he is attacked by vultures, Blessy splendidly adapted the base material to enrich the visual language of the film. Particularly striking were the flashback scenes depicting Najeeb’s moments with his wife Sainu (Amala Paul) and his life back home. Through compassionately crafted scenes and a song, their profound love for each other was vividly portrayed, emphasising why Najeeb, despite enduring such hardships, chose to persevere and seek a way out. Notably, the scenes where Najeeb reminisces about Sainu through the scent of homemade pickles sent in a bottle were also remarkable.

Once Najeeb reunites with Hakeem (KR Gokul), who introduces a new slave, Ibrahim Khadiri (Jimmy Jean-Louis), the film shifts into high gear. Soon, they flee from the masara into the desert, akin to a sea, vast and never-ending. Captured through exceptional visuals by cinematographer Sunil KS and enhanced by A Sreekar Prasad’s mesmerising editing, particularly the seamless transitions, the scenes in the desert were both captivating and harrowing, as they faced further trials without food or water. Depicting Khadiri as an embodiment of Prophet Moses, the film, like the novel, highlights the presence of God around them amidst struggles. However, only one of them ultimately crosses the desert sea — Najeeb.

Despite a somewhat shaky start, Prithviraj Sukumaran admirably rises to the challenge, portraying Najeeb with authenticity. (Image: Prithviraj Sukumaran/Facebook)

While Blessy meticulously selected only the necessary moments for the film adaptation of Aadujeevitham, his script fell short throughout in building sufficient tension. Numerous instances, particularly those where the situation heats up, end abruptly, lacking the depth that could have provided closure. The script’s omission or intentional avoidance of pivotal moments from the novel, such as Najeeb’s visceral reaction to rainwater touching his body after months of deprivation, and the night he experiences intense physical desires, seeking solace in the warmth of a female goat, were regrettable artistic decisions. Given the film’s compelling portrayal of Najeeb’s physical deterioration, notably depicted when Prithviraj fully undresses, revealing his bare and emaciated body, the exclusion of the physical intimacy scene felt unnecessary and somewhat hypocritical.

However, Prithviraj delivers one of his career-best performances, elevating Aadujeevitham above these shortcomings. Despite a somewhat shaky start, he admirably rises to the challenge, portraying Najeeb with authenticity. His subtle facial expressions and speech patterns in the final acts, transformed into those resembling a goat’s after prolonged isolation, were remarkable. For an actor who has often faced criticism for struggling to convey intense emotions, Aadujeevitham marks a significant milestone. Amala Paul shined as Sainu, despite her limited screen time. Although Gokul’s performance initially appeared amateurish, he excelled in the later escape sequences, and Jimmy’s casting as Khadiri was spot-on.

Resul Pookutty’s sound design, particularly in the desert sequences, stood out prominently, while Ranjith Ambady’s makeup and Stephy Xavier’s costume design warrant notable praise. Prasanth Madhav’s production design also merits applause. However, the most significant letdown in Aadujeevitham was AR Rahman’s music, particularly in the scenes in Kerala. Often, Rahman’s music felt discordant with the emotions portrayed and aside from “Periyone”, the songs too failed to evoke any feelings or enhance the rich visual storytelling.

Aadujeevitham movie cast: Prithviraj Sukumaran, Amala Paul, Jimmy Jean-Louis
Aadujeevitham movie director: Blessy
Aadujeevitham movie rating: 4 stars