Aadujeevitham’s director Blessy explained that the film was made on a massive budget but struggled to recover its production costs.
The Goat Life tells the story of Najeeb who gets trapped in Saudi Arabia. (Photo Credit: X)
Director Blessy’s survival drama Aadujeevitham, also known as The Goat Life, captivated audiences with its emotional storyline and Prithviraj Sukumaran’s compelling performance. Adapted from Benyamin’s 2008 novel, the Malayalam film emerged as one of the highest-grossing movies of 2024, raking in over Rs 150 crore at the box office. Its popularity soared further following its OTT release, earning international acclaim. However, despite its commercial success, Blessy revealed that the film was not financially profitable. He explained that Aadujeevitham was made on a massive budget and struggled to recover its production costs, admitting that the team had anticipated higher box office earnings.
As per Marunadan Malayali, the filmmaker stated, “It cannot be said that the film Aadujeevitham was a financial success. The reason is that the movie had a massive budget. The box office collection was not enough to cover that amount. Looking at the box office collection it has received now, many may feel that Aadujeevitham was profitable. However, in reality, it barely managed to break even.”
In a previous interview with The Hindu, Blessy speaking about the film said, “In the book, the story is conveyed through the protagonist’s inner monologue, with his emotions expressed through words. In cinema, however, we needed to convey his emotions through actions to connect with the audience. In the book, the Arabic dialogue is translated into Malayalam, but in the film, we kept the Arabic language intact to maintain authenticity.”
The director explained that every scene in the film was carefully planned to show the characters’ emotions. The way each shot was set up matched the pace of the story and the changing feelings of the main character. For example, during Najeeb’s escape, the speed of the frames was adjusted to show how tired he was getting. The director also used high-angle shots only in a few important moments. Wide shots were used to highlight the huge, empty desert and the fear it created.”
The Goat Life tells the story of Najeeb, played by Prithviraj Sukumaran, a Malayali migrant worker who gets trapped in slavery on a remote farm in Saudi Arabia. The film shows his struggles and survival in harsh conditions. While the exact budget of Aadujeevitham is unclear, according to Sacnilk, the movie collected Rs 157 Crore at the box office. Out of this, Rs 97 Crore came from the Indian market and Rs 59 Crore was earned from overseas collections.
