Aadujeevitham lost out at National Awards as performances 'didn't feel authentic', reveals jury member

Mint

4 days ago

'Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life', directed by Blessy, failed to secure a single National Award this year, sparking surprise among fans and critics.
Now, jury member Pradeep Nair has revealed that the film was indeed under serious consideration, but fell short during final deliberations—largely due to concerns raised by Jury Chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker.
Speaking to Onmanorama, Nair explained, '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.'
Despite early praise, these factors reportedly weighed heavily during the jury's final discussions, ultimately leading to the film's omission from the winners' list.
The film had also been in contention for awards in the Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics categories, particularly for the song Periyone Rahmane penned by Rafeeq Ahammed. However, the lack of an accurate English translation of the lyrics—required for jury evaluation—led to its disqualification.
'K R Gokul's character was widely appreciated by the jury for its freshness and impact. Still, he was not awarded as categories also considered the overall quality of the film,' Nair added. Gokul played the role of Hakim in the survival drama.
The Best Male Playback Singer award eventually went to Rohit for Premisthunna in 'Baby', while Best Lyrics was awarded to Kasarla Shyam for 'Ooru Palleturu' from 'Balagam'.
The revelations have ignited fresh debate over jury criteria and highlight how technicalities and subjective interpretation can sway even the most promising contenders.