Prithviraj Sukumaran's The Goat Life Gets No Recognition At National Awards Fans Call It A 'Joke'

Fans went in an uproar against the National Awards for ignoring Prithviraj Sukumaran's Tibetan survival drama Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), which was celebrated for its unyielding realism and Prithviraj's intense transformation.

National Award Controversy

Considering several nominations for the National Awards in categories such as Best Actor, Best Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Background Score, etc., The Goat Life went down in history as an outright rejection. In major categories, the jury awarded The Kerala Story, while director Pradeep Nair displayed reservations about Goat Life for its alleged lack of authenticity and natural execution. Fans were rather aghast that emotional depth with recognitions for technical excellence for a film could be far from the considered.

Kerala Honors Prithviraj and Blessy

However, the film was relatively untouchable back home, sweeping the boards at the 54th Kerala State Film Awards in August 2024. Prithviraj Sukumaran won Best Actor for his portrayal of Najeeb, and Blessy took home Best Director, along with awards for Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Makeup, and Best Sound Mixing.

Why Fans Call It a“Joke”

Heralding the onset of a demand for justice, social media erupted:

“Prithvi's performance deserves every accolade. If he didn't win the National Award, it'd be the biggest shame.”

"Prithviraj for the goat life ig ..Prithvi Raj spent nearly 16 years to fully make this film n did great acting wise ..Fraud PR aur National Award?"

"It did win the state award ..But fans expected more. Also it being overshadowed other releases...nevertheless I hope Prithvi gets some recognition soon."

What Makes the Snub So Sore?

Prithviraj's Physical Transformation: The actor lost almost 31 kg to play the role of Najeeb, a monumental task that has been widely appreciated as grueling and most committed.

Artistic Ingenuity: Critics and cinephiles lauded the emotional weight of the film, as well as its screenplay, visual palette, and musical score by Oscar winner A. R. Rahman, which also received nominations at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards.

Emotional Realism: The cruel injustices of modern-day slavery and endurance testing come alive in the movie like hardly in any other film in the Indian commercial cinema.

While The Goat Life achieved sweeping success at the Kerala State Awards, earned worldwide recognition for its thematic depth and technical excellence, and suffered a total snub at the National Awards, the subsequent omission generated fresh outrage from the crowd, branding this as a huge injustice to not only Prithviraj's diligence but also to Malayalam cinema as a whole. Fans continue to cry for accountability, stating that the emotional depth and aesthetic integrity of the celluloid deserved acknowledgment at the national level.

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