Aadujeevitham's director Blessy reacts to National Awards snub for Prithviraj Sukumaran film, says ‘seems like double standards'

Economic Times

12 hours ago

Synopsis
The 71st National Film Awards sparked controversy by overlooking Blessy's 'Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life,' despite its critical and commercial success. Director Blessy expressed shock, alleging jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker's changed stance after previously praising the film.
The 71st National Film Awards sparked debate. Blessy's Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life did not win any awards.
The 71st National Film Awards were announced on August 1, 2025, to honour the best of Indian cinema in 2023. The winners' list received mixed reactions from the audience. One film that became the centre of growing controversy after being completely ignored by the jury was director Blessy's ambitious survival drama Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life, starring Prithviraj Sukumaran. Despite being both a critical and commercial success, the film failed to win a single award, a decision that has sparked disappointment, debate, and accusations of inconsistency in the jury's process.In an interview with OnManorama, Blessy expressed his shock and dismay over the exclusion. What particularly frustrated the filmmaker was the alleged change in stance by jury chairperson Ashutosh Gowariker. Blessy claimed that Gowariker had previously praised the film, even comparing it to the legendary 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia during an Oscar campaign screening in Mumbai.
"That comment felt like an award in itself. He (Gowariker) even invited me to lunch the next day to discuss the film further, though I couldn't attend as I had to travel that night. If someone appreciated the film in such detail before, how can they dismiss it on technical grounds? This seems like double standards,' Bless said.Clarifying the jury's decision, National Awards jury member Pradeep Nair confirmed that Aadujeevitham was indeed under consideration for multiple categories. However, it failed to make the cut during the final discussions. According to Nair, "jury Chairperson 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 originality and the performances didn't feel authentic."Another critical blow came in the form of incomplete documentation. The jury stated that the absence of accurate English translations for the film's lyrics, which reportedly cost it nominations in the Best Male Playback Singer and Best Lyrics categories. Despite actor KR Gokul's performance receiving praise from the panel, he was not honoured due to concerns about the film's overall quality.The exclusion of Aadujeevitham has sparked strong reactions on social media. Many fans criticised the National Awards process, calling it unfair and inconsistent. Many believe the film's strong visuals, emotional story, and solid performances should have been recognised, especially because of its large-scale effort.For the unversed, Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life, was released on March 24, 2024.