Monday, May 13

Aadujeevitham: Prithviraj Delivers The Performance Of A Lifetime

Written by Aishwarya Krishnan

Tickets to Aadujeevtiham (The Goat Life) are selling like hot cakes. The Blessy directorial has taken cinephiles by storm, with people stepping out of the theatres absolutely in awe of the cinematography, the spell-binding performances, AR Rahman’s heartbreaking background score, and, of course, the soul-stirring story.

But if there is anything one takes away from the film, it is the incredible performance of Prithviraj Sukumaran himself. Perhaps the most challenging role in the actor’s career so far, Prithviraj underwent mind-boggling physical transformations not once but multiple times to essay the real-life Najeeb in his tragic and humane ordeal of survival.

The actor brings out the helplessness and hopelessness of the character with such ease that it is impossible not to feel for the character and the main man, Najeeb himself. The intensity of a man stuck in a land unknown, bound by language barriers, with dreams of providing for his family is conveyed spectacularly. As he desperately looks for a way out of the desert land, it almost feels as if the actor was destined to do the pathbreaking Malayalam film.

After more than a decade-long struggle to make the film, the reel-life Najeeb also had to undergo obstacles such as the COVID pandemic obstructing the shoot and budget disruptions, among others. But it appears that the struggles were not in vain. Social media is being flooded with applause for the actor, with many calling it Prithviraj’s “career-defining performance.”.

With notable performances like Ennu Ninte Moideen, Ayalum Njanum Thammil, Koode, Celluloid, and more in his expansive career, the actor has achieved the peak of his talent. With Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), Prithviraj has delivered perhaps one of the greatest performances to date, establishing himself as one of the greatest actors in Indian cinema.