Explained: Why Prithviraj Sukumaran’s The Goat Life missed out on a National Award

Fans of Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran felt his transformative performance in Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life was unjustly ignored.

The 71st National Film Awards were announced on Friday. While Shah Rukh Khan (Jawan) and Vikrant Massey (12th Fail) shared the coveted Best Actor trophy, the celebrations were tinged with an outrage from a section of cinephiles. Fans of Malayalam star Prithviraj Sukumaran felt his transformative performance in Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life was unjustly ignored.

Disappointments poured in on X (formerly Twitter). One fan vented, “This man put his blood, sweat and health over a film and didn’t even win a national award for the finest performance… #nationalawards have become joke! Better luck next time.” Another wrote, “THIS IS CALLED ACTING he deserved a NATIONAL AWARD man.” The sentiment was clear - for many, this was more than a snub; it was a betrayal of talent.

The backlash, however, overlooks an important detail. The 71st National Film Awards covered films certified by the CBFC in 2023. The Goat Life only received certification on February 1, 2024 and hit theatres on March 28 that year. Despite being screened at film festivals, its late certification automatically ruled it out for contention in 2023’s awards cycle.

Even where it was submitted, the response wasn’t entirely favourable. Jury member Pradeep Nair told Manorama, “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.” Nair also noted technical lapses, including the lack of subtitles in some of the submitted formats.

Also read: Vikrant Massey wins National Award for Best Actor for 12th Fail, Vidhu Vinod Chopra's film bags Best Feature Film award

Directed by Blessy, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life is based on the harrowing true story of Najeeb, a Malayali migrant forced into modern-day slavery in Saudi Arabia. Prithviraj’s staggering physical transformation and intense performance earned widespread acclaim. The film also became a box office phenomenon, grossing Rs 158 crore and ranking among Malayalam cinema’s highest earners.