Arabic X Divided As Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) Trends
For the past few days, the Blessy-directed film Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) has been trending on Arabic X. The movie, inspired by the book of the same name, was earlier translated into Arabic as Ayyamul Maaiz. Both the book and the film, starring Malayalam actor Prithviraj Sukumaran, were banned in some Gulf countries shortly after their release, though the ban was later lifted in many of these nations.
Scrolling through tweets with the trending keyword Hayathul Maaiz in Arabic, the conversation is divided regarding the portrayal of Arabs in the movie.
Criticism of the film focuses primarily on two points: the depiction of Arabs as cruel and the performance of Omani actor Talib al Balushi, who plays the monstrous “Kafeel” (the sponsor) who takes the protagonist to his farm and leaves him to suffer. However, many are praising the artistic quality of the film, arguing that neither the book nor the movie portrays all Arabs in a negative light.
– السعودي خالد البديع من ٤ سنوات يسرد قصة #حياه_الماعز
-السعودي الاخر يسرد القصة من ٣ سنوات في قناة المجد!تساءل منطقي لماذا بالذات الممثل #طالب_البلوشي الذي يتهم ولماذا بعض الحسابات الغير عُمانية تفتخر وتعيد نشر صور الفنان طالب محمد، ما الهدف ؟؟ pic.twitter.com/5LWD8UmKnS
— آلراشديةٰ 🦋🕊 🇴🇲 (@SumayaRashidi) August 23, 2024
Those criticising Dr Talib al Balushi are primarily focusing on his Omani nationality, questioning how someone from Oman could portray a character causing harm to Saudi Arabia. Some have posted his previous comments on Indians and claimed that he “changed his colours” when given the opportunity to act in an Indian movie.
فيلم البهاراتي #حياة_الماعز فيلم هندي تحول
إلى هوليودي قصه نجيب المستعبد بالسعوديه
اعطت الفلم تأثير إنساني وتعاطف عالمي
الفنان #طالب_البلوشي وابطال الفيلم اداء
خرافي الفيلم حقق انتشار واسع حول العالم
وهناك انباء عن رصد جوائز الأوسكار العالميه
لأفضل فيلم ماذا بينك وبين الله يانجيب pic.twitter.com/3MG4fwMb4K— عيناوي🥇 (@_Ainawi) August 23, 2024
However, in reality, Dr Balushi was well received by the movie’s fans in Kerala, the Indian state where the film originated, as well as internationally. His acting skills, honed through previous roles in Arab films, were praised by critics and movie enthusiasts alike as Aadujeevitham fever swept the nation a few months ago.
#حياة_الماعز الممثل العماني مسيلمة الكذاب ، لماذا لم يتطرق لما يحصل للمسلمين في الهند ، من ضرب واهانة وتعذيب ، وهو ظاهر وواضح للناس ، اما الفلم الذي شارك فيه يعلم ويدري انه يوجد فيه من الكذب والافتراء ،وهذا يدل على الحقد الدفين الذي في قلبه وفي قلوب من هم على شاكلته على السعودية… pic.twitter.com/p0Uj5VDtIR
— hisham (@hisham530) August 23, 2024
Earlier, the release of the movie in Gulf countries, except the UAE, was delayed due to the content of the movie. The movie depicts the adventurous escape of a Malayali labourer from the clutches of slavery enforced by a Bedouin Arab sponsor. This “Kafeel” or sponsor, as in the real-life story of Alappuzha native Shukkoor, now famous as Najeeb Muhammad (character portrayed by Prithviraj in the film), picks him up from the arrival area of King Khalid International Airport while he is waiting for his actual sponsor, and then keeps the labourer for an extended period without letting him leave a goat farm inside the Saudi Arabian desert. However, after several months of harrowing life on the farm, Najeeb manages to escape the place.
#حياة_الماعز.. محاولات تشويه صورة السعودية مستمرة، الفيلم لا يتناسق مع الحقيقة، السعودي والبدوي أكرم الناس وأرحمهم وأشجعهم👌🏻
لكن من رضي بدور ليس من أهله وضاعة، ومن يرتضي ذلك أوضع؛ ماذا فعل الهندوس بالمسلمين؟
ماذا عملوا بعض عمالة هذه الجنسية من تصنيع خمور وشبكات دعارة وقرصنة ووو pic.twitter.com/NHneNqooXu
— سلطان النفيعي (@sultanalnefaie) August 21, 2024
Aadujeevitham is currently streaming on Netflix and was recently in news as the movie bagged many awards in the 54th Kerala State Film Awards including best actor and best director.
