Aadujeevitham's National Award Snub: Blessy Calls Out Ashutosh Gowariker's ‘Double Standards'
Aadujeevitham director Blessy is questioning how a film once praised in glowing terms by Ashutosh Gowariker could later be dismissed when it entered the National Film Awards.
Filmmaker Blessy, who helmed the much-anticipated survival drama Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, has voiced his disappointment after the film failed to win a single award at the 71st National Film Awards.
The film, which was widely expected to bag honours in cinematography, soundtrack, performances and even as Best Malayalam Film, was completely overlooked, leaving fans and critics surprised. But what has puzzled the director even more is the apparent change in stance by jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker, who had earlier praised the film.
Now, Blessy is questioning how a film once admired in such glowing terms could be dismissed later on what he calls 'technical grounds."
Blessy On Asutosh Gowariker's 'Double Standards'
Speaking to OnManorama, Blessy shared that during a Mumbai premiere held for the film's Oscar campaign, Ashutosh Gowariker had not only praised Aadujeevitham profusely, but also compared it to the 1962 cinematic classic Lawrence of Arabia. He recalled, 'When we held a premiere in Mumbai as part of our Oscar campaign, I had reached out to him. We spoke at length, and he praised the film highly."
The director recounted that Asutosh had stated that he hadn't seen a 'film that portrays desert so beautifully." Blessy shared, 'That comment felt like an award in itself. He even invited me to lunch the next day to discuss the film further, though I couldn't attend as I had to travel that night."
He added, 'If someone appreciated the film in such detail before, how can they dismiss it on technical grounds? This seems like double standards."
National Film Award Jury's Take On Aadujeevitham
Despite fan expectations in categories like performance, cinematography, soundtrack and Best Malayalam Film, the survival drama was passed over completely.
National Awards jury member Pradeep Nair explained what Asutosh thought about Aadujeevitham. Speaking to the same publication, Nair said, 'Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker had seen the movie at a previous film festival in Goa and had serious concerns about the film's adaptation and execution. Gowariker and others also felt the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances didn't feel authentic."
Jury member Pradeep Nair confirmed that Aadujeevitham was very much in contention, but eventually lost out during the final round of discussions. According to him, the film narrowly missed winning in categories like Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics, not due to creative shortcomings, but because of a technical lapse. He pointed out that the producers failed to provide an English translation of lyricist Rafeeq Ahammed's work, which disqualified it from the running.
Nair also admitted that KR Gokul's performance was 'widely appreciated" by the jury, but it couldn't secure an award owing to concerns about the overall consistency and quality.
So Who Took The Award Home?
While Aadujeevitham left empty-handed, Christo Tomy's Ullozhukku took home the Best Malayalam Film title. The jury cited the film's consistency across writing, direction and technical craft as key to its win.
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