What Makes Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) An Epic Story
There is hardly any Malayali who has not come across Benyamin and his eponymous work, Aadujeevitham. As it reaches the 251st edition, the novel has etched a significant shift in contemporary Malayalam literature. It is not preposterous to state that the literary scenario identifies a period before and after Aadujeevitham. Published in 2008, the novel became an “overnight sensation,” and Benyamin became the “most sought-after” author.
The novel is inspired by the real-life story of Najeeb Muhammed, a Malayali migrant who went missing in Saudi Arabia. Like most who reach the Gulf region, better money and prospects were Najeeb”s dreams as well. But in an unexpected turn, he was subjected to a slave-like existence where he had to live as goat herd in the desert. For two years, enduring the tortures of the cruel Arab employer, his condition was akin to or even worse than that of an animal. Najeeb stopped even considering himself a human and came to regard himself as one of the goats he herd. In spite of the cruel treatments and violence, even the basic amenities were denied to him. When Najeeb tried to escape, the hardships he encountered during the journey were also close to killing him. His unwavering faith and hope survived him during these unimaginable hard times.
Author Benyamin (extreme right) with the crew of the movie Aadujeevitham
Why does a survival story remain a timeless piece of literature even after all these years? The real-life story and Najeeb”s endurance and persistence resonated with Malayali readers. It touched the emotional psyche to the point where a reader could not resist a tear, and a prayer for Najeeb. The first-person narration has a spellbinding effect because it feels as if someone close to the reader is recounting his tragic episodes and undergoing through difficulties .
Aadujeevitham hooks the readers like a gorging page-turner, but differently for the fact that the reader here empathises with Najeeb”s hardships and inhumane treatment, and his survival becomes everyone”s wish. Though the world has changed a lot since the book”s release, readers across ages and across different periods in more or less equal veracity travel through Najeeb, weep for him, grieve with him, and hope for him. Moreover, a story of survival, strength and faith resonate with audience because, it is life, right, and when a literary piece gives a beacon of hope to anyone in their trying times, it served it purpose. Through reaching Najeeb”s story to a greater audience, Aadujeevitham does that dutifully.
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And Benyamin penned it evocatively, justifying its narrative potential and responsibility at finest. It is hard to think that Aadujeevitham was his debut work, since in his first fiction itself he exhibits his writing prowess as that of seasoned writer. The book has received Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award, and has been translated to English and several Indian languages. Besides, the movie adaptation is also going to hit theatres. Aadujeevitham continues as a timeless classic.
