Akhila Menon
Based on Benyamin's novel
Aadujeevitham is majorly based on famous Malayalam writer Benyamin's best-selling novel Aadujeevitham aka The Goat Life.
A real story
The Aadujeevitham novel is inspired by the real-life struggles of Shukkur aka Najeeb, a labourer from Haripad, Kerala, who migrates to Saudi Arabia for employment.
A 16-year-long journey
Blessy, the senior Malayalam filmmaker who directed Aadujeevitham, started his journey with the project back in 2008. The director invested around 16 years in the making of this Prithviraj film.
The leading man
Aadujeevitham was initially offered to Vikram and later to Suriya. The project eventually came to Prithviraj Sukumaran in 2009, after the popular actors turned down the offer due to their busy schedules.
Prithviraj's transformation
Prithviraj Sukumaran initially gained weight to appear in the flashback portions of the film. Later, the actor shocked his fans and well-wishers, by shedding over 30 kilos to portray the gutwrenching transformation of his character.
The delays
Aadujeevitham was put on hold for a very long time, as many producers turned down Blessy's passion project. The movie started rolling in March 2018, in Kerala, but was later delayed again due to the pandemic.
The team stranded in Jordan
Prithviraj, Blessy, and The Goat Life team members were stranded at Wadi Rum, Jordan for over 70 days (from March to May 2022), due to the worldwide lockdown.
Aadujeevitham box office
The movie finally hit the theatres in March 2024 and emerged as third all-time highest grossing Malayalam film in history. Prithviraj's film made a worldwide collection of over Rs. 160 crore within its lifetime run.