ALAPPUZHA: After years-long wait, the Prithviraj - Blessy- Benyamin team announced the release date of the film Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life) on Thursday. The film, to be released on April 10, 2024, is based on a novel written by Benyamin about the real story of a man from Kerala who spent around two years in exile on a goat farm in an unknown desert in Saudi Arabia.
The protagonist Najeeb suffers miseries that cannot be described in words. Benyamin narrated his life as a goatherd in the novel and it became one of the best-seller novels in the history of Malayalam literature.
The real Najeeb Muhammad is living in Arattupuzha, a coastal village in Alappuzha. After suffering in Saudi Arabia, he escaped from the hands of an Arab landlord after walking days through the desert without food and water. Finally, he reached a city and a Malayali looked after him and later surrendered to the police.
He was deported to India in August 1995. Later he went to Bahrain and spent around 20 years and returned to his native. Now he is working as a fisherman in Arattupuzha.
I don’t know how I live now, said Najeeb. “Only the blessings of ‘Allah’ is behind my resurrection. I am living with my wife Sabiyath and daughter Safeena at Patthissery in Arattupuzha panchayat. My son Safeer is in Oman. After escaping from Saudi Arabia, he went to Bahrain searching for a livelihood and worked in a scrap material company for over 20 years. He left the job in 2021 after the spread of Covid. After reaching his native place, he became a daily wager and is now working as a helper to fishermen who venture into the sea for fishing on ‘Ponthuvallam’.
After spending long years of life in the Gulf, he could construct a house after buying five cents of land, but he is sad that there is no pathway to the land. He is also happy that his daughter’s marriage has been conducted. I am content with that,” said 60-year-old Najeeb.
“I am happy that the film based on my life will be released soon. Many people from various countries suffered much in deserts as slaves in those days and the novel sheds light on the pathetic life of people who went to the Gulf dreaming of a better life. The film should also narrate the ordeal suffered by them,” Najeeb said.
“I went to the shooting sets of the film at Ranni and Tiruvalla and spoke to actor Prithviraj and director Blessy. Writer Benyamin frequently contacts me over the phone and offers help often. He gave me money at the time of the marriage of my daughter. It was a big help. I will go to the theatre with my family to see the film,” Najeeb said.