After kicking off its Pan-India tour in Kochi last week with its magnificent music launch, The Goat Life team arrived in Mumbai. At the press conference, Prithviraj Sukumaran, Blessy, A.R Rahman, Resul Pookutty, Prasoon Joshi and Jimmy Jean Louis took to the stage to speak about the upcoming film and the 10 year long journey to get there. From its inception, to the hurdles faced and everything in between, the cast and crew went on a trip down memory lane to share their incredible journey on this visual masterpiece. The event also witnessed the launch of the soul-stirring Hindi soundtrack of the film penned by Prasoon Joshi. The trailer, The Hope Song, and a few behind the scenes from the film were some of the many assets played at the insightful press conference.
Speaking about what the film means to him, Prithviraj Sukumaran shared, “It’s a very special film for multiple reasons. The journey didn’t start in 2018 it started in 2009. 2008-2009 is when Mr. Blessy procured the rights to this wonderful book. Blessy is one of the most coveted filmmakers in the Malayalam film industry. In 2009 I was trying to discover myself as an actor, and that’s when the journey started. A lot of things changed in 10 years. From the very beginning Blessy 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, but we never gave up. 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. It has been a big 16 year long journey. I’m 41 years old and I have been associated with this film for 16 years. That’s a huge portion of an adult life. So thank you for being a part of this film.”
Talking about the music of the film, A.R Rahman said, “I’m very blessed to be in this position because when they first came to me, I didn’t understand how big the film was. But Blessy was very persistent. He came and told the story and I gave him a few tunes. Then I finally went to Jordan. I’m an explorer and I’m my first audience. If I get bored with something I don’t do it. I’m lucky to have great directors like Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, Blessy, Mani Ratnam, Imtiaz Ali, Anand L Rai, and many more.”
Speaking about the Hindi version of the songs, Prasoon Joshi shared, “I thought there is some divine intervention to do this film, and they gave me very little time to write to the melody given. This was purely composed first and written later, so I had to write to the tune. This is a film that is immersive. You will have to trust the director. You will have to trust the pilot, the creator. You want to feel the pain of the story because that’s what this film is trying to do. I felt I should first immerse myself. I could feel the character where this film was coming from. So I must thank all of the people involved with the film for this opportunity.”
The movie is based on the novel ‘Aadujeevitham’, one of the most popular best sellers ever from the Malayalam literary world, which has been translated in 12 different languages, including those that are foreign. Penned by noted writer Benyamin and it follows the true story of the life of a young man Najeeb, who in the early 90s migrates from the lush green shores of Kerala in search of the fortunes in a land abroad.
Produced by Visual Romance, The Goat Life also features Hollywood actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, Indian actors like Amala Paul and K.R. Gokul, along with renowned Arab actors such as Talib al Balushi and Rik Aby in pivotal roles. The upcoming film’s music direction and sound design are helmed by Academy Award winners A.R. Rahman and Resul Pookutty, respectively. The stunning visuals of the film have been shot by Sunil KS, and they have been edited by A. Sreekar Prasad. Being shot in multiple countries around the world, the film is the biggest-ever venture in the Malayalam film industry, setting new benchmarks in production standards, storytelling, and acting prowess. With exemplary performances and a soul-stirring background score, the film makes for a larger-than-life theatrical experience.