This film featuring a superstar took 16 years to make and did not have a producer for six years
After 16 years, the magnum opus that is The Goat Life (titled Aadujeevitham in Malayalam) is releasing in theatres today (March 28). The film, based on a book that is inspired by a true story, has been in the making since 2008 but one delay or the other has meant it has not been able to finish production. And some of those delays were quite other-worldly.
The story behind The Goat Life’s 16-year production
The Goat Life is an adaptation of the 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel Aadujeevitham by Benyamin, which is based on a true incident. Filmmaker Blessy read the book the same year and decided to adapt it, casting Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead role before the end of the year. The following year, he signed a deal with the author and began writing the screenplay. However, he was unable to find a producer till 2015 sending the film in production hell. The budget constraints also meant that Prithviraj let go of his remuneration for the film, taking a stake in the profits as well. Eventually, the film’s principal photography began in 2018 but then the Covid-19 pandemic halted shoot in 2020. The restrictions meant filming could only be finished in 2022, followed by a long post-production schedule. It is finally releasing now.
When The Goat Life’s crew was stranded in a desert
In 2020, the filming of the film was underway in the deserts of Jordan’s Wadi Rum. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic struck and lockdowns were put in place across the world. This meant that the crew was stuck in the desert town in Jordan without a way of getting home. Eventually, they made it back to India weeks later, courtesy the Indian government's evacuation programme, Vande Bharat Mission.
How animals were imported from Saudi Arabia for The Goat Life shoot
The film is based on the life of a Malayali immigrant who was forced into slavery and lived as a goatherd for several years. To recreate the scenes of desert, the crew shot in Jordan and Algeria but animals – 20 camels and 250 sheep – had to be arranged from Saudi Arabia for the shoot. The Goat Life also stars Amala Paul, Shobha Mohan, and Jimmy Jean-Louis. It released in theatres on March 28.
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 "A still from The Goat Life/Aadujeevitham")
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