- By Aarushi Raina
- Mon, 04 Aug 2025 06:30 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The 71st National Film Awards announcement thrilled some and left others disappointed. Fans were shocked that Prithviraj Sukumaran’s critically acclaimed survival thriller film Aadujeevitham was ignored at the coveted awards. While films like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Jawan and The Kerala Story earned multiple wins, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life, wasn’t awarded in any category. After fans' reactions, Prithviraj Sukumaran responded to the film's snub at the National Award. He revealed what he truly wanted from the film and said he has already received that.
In a conversation with Mid-Day, Prithviraj Sukumaran addressed the fans' expectation for his 2024 Aadujeevitham at the 71st National Awards. He said, "No award is a goalpost in my mind. All that I ever wanted from that film, I’ve already got. My number one [criterion] was that I wanted the film to work. I wanted people to like my performance, and most importantly, I wanted the world to know that man’s story. All three happened. There’s nothing else that I want from the film. If I get a National Award, great; if I don’t, congratulations to whoever gets it.”
Directed and co-produced by Blessy, in Aadujeevitham, Sukumaran played the role of Najeeb, a Malayali migrant labourer trapped in Saudi Arabia. Besides him, the film also starred Jimmy Jean-Louis, K. R. Gokul, Talib Al Balushi, Rik Aby, Amala Paul, Shobha Mohan and others.
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The decision to omit Aadujeevitham from the winners' list of National Film Awards faced intense backlash. Following it, National Awards jury member Pradeep Nair, in an interview, revealed the actual reason by stating that jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker and others "felt that the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances weren’t authentic."
Meanwhile, Prithviraj Sukumaran is garnering praise for his performance in Sarzameen, which also starred Kajol and Ibrahim Ali Khan. It is currently streaming on JioHotstar.