Written by: Siddhartha Krishnan | 3-Min Read
While I am aware this might disappoint some Malayalees, I have to concede that I struggled to embrace ‘Aadujeevitham’. Despite the promising source material, I felt it lacked the captivating essence needed for compelling cinema. To begin with, converting Benyamin’s vivid prose into a motion picture seemed like a daunting task, and though I observed the effort, ambition, and grand scale, I couldn’t immerse myself in the hero’s journey. Sympathy for the protagonist was present, yet there remained a constant emotional distance. It felt as though the director got lost in his own artistry.
Blessy, is undoubtedly a talented filmmaker, whose filmography only a few can boast of. He has given the Malayalee cinephile films like ‘Thanmatra’, ‘Brahmaram’ and ‘Kaazhcha’, and we Malayalees eagerly wait for the next Blessy release. However, ‘Aadujeevitham’, fails to create the impact that those films did.
However, the dedication poured into crafting the film is undeniable. From the authentic visuals, costumes, to the locations, every aspect rings true. The actors, led by the excellent Prithviraj Sukumaran, deliver commendable performances, with Sukumaran fully embodying his character Najeeb. Unlike some of his other roles where the star overshadows the actor, here he is Najeeb through and through, a transformation that is strikingly painful to witness.
To be fair, the director does offer a few cinematic moments that Indian audiences may not have experienced before, moments that are cathartic and likely to linger in viewers’ minds long after the credits roll. It’s clearly a film made for the theatre. However, not everything comes together to create the impact it should. Some scenes tend to be overly melodramatic. Blessy, being an old-school filmmaker, which isn’t necessarily a flaw, but in a cinematic landscape shaped by the advent of OTT platforms and exposure to world cinema, the language of our films has evolved. This evolution cannot be ignored by filmmakers.
Consider ‘Dunki’ in this context, where a celebrated filmmaker like Rajkumar Hirani stuck to his signature style, resulting in a film that didn’t resonate as strongly with today’s audience as expected. Conversely, a veteran filmmaker like Martin Scorcese chooses to continuously evolve, staying relevant to the times rather than sticking to a particular style.
That being said, it would be unfair to label ‘Aadujeevitham’ as a bad film. The effort put into its making is evident on screen, perhaps too much so, as it sometimes feels disjointed from the storytelling. This, in my view, creates an emotional distance between the protagonist and the audience, despite the lead actor’s stellar performance.
IMDb rating – 9/10
My rating – 3/5
About the author –
Siddhartha Krishnan is the author of ‘Two and a Half Rainbows – A Collection of Short Stories’. He is also an enthusiastic blogger, and on his blog (www.whatsonsidsmind.com), he puts out his articles, essays, travelogues, book recommendations, and film reviews.