Blessy breaks silence on Aadujeevitham National Awards snub: 'There’s definitely politics involved'

Acclaimed filmmaker Blessy has finally spoken out after his survival drama Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, was completely ignored at the 71st National Film Awards. The movie, which was praised by critics and audiences alike, was left empty-handed even as The Kerala Story—a film that has polarized viewers—swept top honors for Best Direction and Best Cinematography, sparking widespread backlash and relentless trolling on social media.

In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, Blessy expressed his disappointment, calling out what he believes to be “politics” behind the decision and questioning jury member and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker’s remarks that his film “wasn’t technically sound enough.”

Blessy revealed that Gowariker had previously praised Aadujeevitham when it was screened at a film festival.

“I was reacting only to what he said,” Blessy told Gulf News. “Ashutosh Gowariker was a jury member in a film festival in which my film was screened. He spoke to me highly about the movie while I was in Mumbai. He even invited me to lunch the next day. But I had to fly back on the same day. After all this, I am at a loss to understand why he changed his tune. He cannot take a stand that a movie is not good enough when he sees a better movie.”

When asked if the snub was linked to the ongoing controversies surrounding Prithviraj, especially the heated debates over Empuraan, Blessy didn’t hold back:

“That seems to be the obvious [reason]. Anyone with common sense can realise it. I recognise that the jury’s decision is final and unquestionable. There is definitely politics involved in this,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Blessy says his true validation comes from audiences.

“For me, it is my cinema and I value the comments by the movie-going public. What disturbed me was that the movie which was well appreciated was totally sidelined,” he said. “A filmmaker does not make a movie for awards. His objective is that the film is seen and accepted by as many people as possible. And in that respect, my film was seen by a large number. Many came and hugged me with tears in their eyes. What if my film bags awards but is not seen by the public?”

Blessy also criticised the jury’s justification for sidelining his film:

“When they try to justify their decision, they should justify it by narrating the merits of the winning films, not by derogatory views on other films. This is not an isolated incident,” he pointed out.

Despite the controversy, he remains hopeful:

“I fail if I emotionally react to the views expressed by someone else. All these show that art is being commercialised. The people, who have seen the movies—good, bad, and worse—are wise enough to judge the quality of the award process. That judgment would hopefully change the process for the better,” he concluded.

For Blessy, Aadujeevitham may not have taken home a National Award, but in his words, “Cinema belongs to the people.”