The announcement of the 71st National Film Awards has stirred mixed emotions across Kerala, as cinema lovers celebrate some wins while simultaneously questioning glaring omissions. Director Blessy’s acclaimed survival drama 'Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life', which had earlier won big at the Kerala State Film Awards, was completely overlooked at the national level, a move that has left the filmmaker “bemused.”
While the state rejoiced over Urvashi and Vijayaraghavan winning Best Supporting Actor awards, debates intensified online over why their powerful performances weren’t considered for lead categories. However, the complete omission of 'Aadujeevitham' and its lead actor Prithviraj Sukumaran’s haunting portrayal has sparked deeper criticism — especially since The Kerala Story, a film riddled with controversy and critical panning, was honoured instead.
Blessy Calls Out 'Double Standards' in Jury’s Decision
Reacting to the snub, Blessy opened up in an interview with Onmanorama, expressing disbelief over the jury’s reasoning. “I heard the jury chairperson mention that the film was denied awards due to technical shortcomings. But I remember him appreciating the film deeply during our conversations,” Blessy recalled.
He further revealed that National Awards jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker had earlier praised Aadujeevitham enthusiastically during its Oscar campaign screening in Mumbai. “We spoke at length, and he praised the film highly,” Blessy said.
'Like Lawrence of Arabia, That Comment Felt Like an Award'
Blessy recounted that Gowariker had even likened the film to David Lean’s cinematic classic 'Lawrence of Arabia', saying he hadn’t seen the desert depicted so beautifully since. “That comment felt like an award in itself,” he said, adding that Gowariker had invited him for lunch the next day to continue the conversation. “If someone appreciated the film in such detail before, how can they now dismiss it on technical grounds? This seems like double standards,” Blessy stated.
Jury Member Disagrees: 'Performances Didn’t Feel Authentic'
Pradeep Nair, a filmmaker and member of the 11-person central jury, offered a differing perspective. He explained that Ashutosh Gowariker had seen 'Aadujeevitham' earlier at a film festival in Goa and had reservations about the adaptation. “Gowariker and others also felt the adaptation lacked naturality and the performances didn’t feel authentic,” Nair said.
At the 54th Kerala State Film Awards, 'Aadujeevitham' took home nine honours, including Best Director for Blessy and Best Actor for Prithviraj Sukumaran — making its absence at the national level even more puzzling for many fans and industry insiders.