The 71st National Film Awards were announced on Friday, August 1. The awards were declared by the jury for all the films that received censor certification in the year 2023. There was considerable discussion around several films that were completely snubbed by the National Awards jury, and among them was the Malayalam film Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life. Although it was released in theatres in March 2024, the film was certified on December 31, 2023, thereby making it eligible for the awards.

Aadujeevitham gets no National Award

Aadujeevitham did not win a single award, despite the buzz surrounding it during its release. Directed by veteran filmmaker Blessy and starring Prithviraj Sukumaran, with music by AR Rahman, the film did not receive any mention at the National Film Awards. This did not sit well with fans of Malayalam cinema, many of whom felt that the team, especially actor Prithviraj, was robbed of the prestigious honour.

Jury member Pradeep Nair revealed that Aadujeevitham was in contention but missed out during the final round of discussions.