I'm sorry I had to put in a catchy title, but this is all I could come up with. I'm still hypnotised and speechless after my movie experience yesterday. Aadujeevitham is not just any survival story. Each minute you watch it, it sends a chill down your spine when you remember that this is something that a person actually endured. It makes us uncomfortable that we are sitting and watching this movie in the comfort of our homes (in this case, the theatres).
Aadujeevitham questions that thin line of belief that is there really a God who exists and puts you through these hardships or the sentiment “God” who actually handholds you and keeps you safe and alive through everything!
I haven’t read the book, but Aadujeevitham is based on the true-life incidents of Najeeb Muhammed. To call the book a journal of his trials and tribulations is an understatement. Aadujeevitham is the raw narrative of the extreme adversities a man had to go through, living in the glimmer of a tiny hope, that someday he will meet his loved ones again.
As a person who has faced several traumas in life, I actually lived each moment with Najeeb through the movie. The pain of having to live without your loved ones surrounded by people who don’t understand you and feeling stuck and praying to the same God you despise, for putting you in this situation in the first place. I resonate with Najeeb when he refuses to pray anymore only because he doesn’t have the answer to this simple question that has existed since time immemorial, “why me?”
You may have noticed I’m repeatedly citing the character’s name and not the actor Prithviraj. That is because even for a single moment you don’t see the actor in the movie, but the character. That is the beauty of the result of the dedication of all the people behind the movie Aadujeevitham. Brilliant storytelling by Blessy and immensely dedicated acting, nah.. I wouldn’t call it acting, but portrayal by Prithviraj. The amazing background score by A R Rahman keeps you in tune with the story. The music brings out the happiness in something as simple as when he dives into the water, and also the sadness in something as tragic as when he loses his only friend.
Aadujeevitham will go down in history as one of the best movies, not just in Indian Cinema, but the World! It’s Prithviraj’s best, Blesy’s best (Thanmathra being a close second) and A R Rahman’s best after a long hiatus.
After returning from the movies yesterday, when we were ready to sleep I held my husband and son close to me and mumbled a prayer of gratitude. I’m not sure to whom it goes and who listens to it. For me, God is that only glimmer of hope in your darkness who when you’re alone, is your only solace to talk to and reinstate your belief that one day it will all end and you will receive what you are seeking..
Thank you Blessy.. Thank you Prithviraj.. Thank you Benyamin.. Thank you Najeeb!
Aadujeevitham is art.. Art that can move the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions and Prithviraj, you’re an artist in its truest sense. If you are ever asked what your contribution is to World Cinema. This is it.
Glory awaits.. Take a bow!