'‘Films Are Not Made For Juries...’': Prithviraj Sukumaran Reacts To Aadujeevitham National Award Snub
Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has broken his silence after his critically acclaimed survival drama Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) was overlooked at the 71st National Film Awards, despite wide expectations that the film would feature prominently among the winners.
Speaking at a public event in Sharjah on Monday, Prithviraj said that while awards are valuable, he considers the audience’s reception the “biggest recognition” a film can receive.
“A film is not made for ten people to sit and grade it or for a jury to judge. Nor is it created only for international festivals, though those are certainly valuable. At the end of the day, movies are made for the audience, for people who buy a ticket, come to theatres, and enjoy the experience. In that sense, the viewers have already given Aadujeevitham its biggest award,” the actor said, as reported by Onmanorama.
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The omission of Aadujeevitham from this year’s National Awards has sparked debate across the industry and among audiences. The Blessy directorial, which earned nine trophies, including Best Actor at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards, did not win a single award at the national level.
Adding to the controversy, The Kerala Story, a film that was both widely criticised and mired in political debate, secured two National Awards. This contrast has prompted questions about the jury’s evaluation process, particularly after jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker had earlier praised Aadujeevitham.
Veteran actress Urvashi, who herself won the National Award for Best Supporting Actress this year for her performance in Ullozhukku, also expressed disappointment. Speaking to The News Minute, she noted, “You have an actor who’s put everything into a role like this, and a film that has touched so many people. But they ignored it completely. That’s hard to understand.”
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Director Blessy, too, voiced his shock, highlighting the inconsistency between critical acclaim and the jury’s final verdict.
Based on Benyamin’s 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel, Aadujeevitham follows the harrowing true story of a Malayali migrant worker stranded in the Middle East.
The film was mounted on a budget of ₹82 crore and went on to gross over ₹157 crore worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time.
With music by AR Rahman, cinematography by Sunil KS, and editing by A Sreekar Prasad, the film was praised for both its technical finesse and Prithviraj’s transformative performance.
