Former Bahrain resident’s novel turned movie awaits GCC release

TDT | Manama                                                      

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Moviegoers in Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia would have to wait a while to witness the much-awaited big-screen adaptation of the critically acclaimed novel “Aadujeevitham” (The Goat Life), written by former Bahrain resident Benyamin.

The novel narrates the survival story of Najeeb, who comes to Saudi Arabia for work and gets stranded in the desert. The narrative follows Najeeb’s ordeal after being deceived into herding goats in the desert, shedding light on the harsh realities he endured in Saudi Arabia.

A novel was published in 2008, inspired by the experiences recounted by Najeeb. Though the novel was translated into multiple languages, including English, it faced a ban in Gulf countries earlier, allegedly because it portrayed the region in a bad light.

The film based on the novel is preparing for its global premiere on Thursday (March 28) on over 550 screens.

It is directed by veteran Indian filmmaker Blessy and features Prithviraj Sukumaran, a South Indian actor, as the lead character. Recent updates indicate that the film has not yet fulfilled the requirements of the GCC, which limits its distribution throughout the Gulf nations.

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that the movie has completed its UAE censorship and will hit UAE theatres on March 28, as per the latest updates.

According to sources, the film’s makers are currently making every effort to speed up the censorship procedures so that it can be released in other Gulf nations, including Bahrain, by the first weekend of April.