MOVIES

'I was trying to discover myself'

By SATISH BODAS
March 18, 2024 12:37 IST

'In 2009, I was trying to discover myself as an actor, and that's when the journey started. I'm 41 years old and have been associated with this film for 16 years.'

Are you ready for The Goat Life, which promises to be the greatest survival adventure and India's biggest desert film?

Directed by Blessy and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran and Amala Paul, the film has music by A R Rahman.

Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com tells us more about the film.

 

IMAGE: Prithviraj Sukumaran. Photograph: Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com

"It was a special film for multiple reasons. The journey didn't start in 2018, it started in 2009. 2008-2009 is when Mr Blessey procured the rights of this wonderful book," Prithviraj says at the film's launch in Mumbai.

"In 2009, I was trying to discover myself as an actor, and that's when the journey started. I'm 41 years old and have been associated with this film for 16 years."

 

IMAGE: Prithviraj Sukumaran with Director Blessy and Hollywood actor Jimmy Jean-Loius, who co-stars in the film. Photograph: Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com

"From the very beginning, Blessey was particular that this wasn't going to be a green screen film. It had to be shot in organic locations. In 2018, we started shooting and then the pandemic came in between. When the world opened, we went back to Algeria. I don't know if a film crew has ever seen the kind of places we have shot in, we were that deep in the desert," Prithviraj adds.

 

 

IMAGE: A R Rahman. Photograph: Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com

"When they first came to me, I didn't understand how big the film was," Rahman says.

"But Blessy was very persistent. He came and told me the story and I gave him a few tunes. Then finally, I went to Jordan. I'm an explorer and I'm my first audience. If I get bored with something, I don't do it."

 

 

IMAGE: Prasoon Joshi with A R Rahman. Photograph: Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com

"They gave me very little time to write to the given melody. This was composed first, and written later so I had to write to the tune," Prasoon Joshi adds.

 

 

IMAGE: The stars of The Goat Life: Resul Pookutty, Prasoon Joshi, A R Rahman, Blessy, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Jimmy Jean-Loius. Photograph: Satish Bodas/ Rediff.com

The Goat Life is based on the popular Malayalam novel, Aadujeevitham. It follows the life of a young man named Najeeb, who in the early '90s, migrates from the lush green shores of Kerala in search of fortunes abroad. 

The film will release in theatres on March 28 in five languages, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

SATISH BODAS / Rediff.com

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