Prithviraj Sukumaran on meeting Najeeb Muhammad in real life: 'It's a divine experience'

Malayalam actor-filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran has garnered unanimous praise for his heartfelt portrayal of the insurmountable sufferings of Najeeb Muhammad in his latest movie, Aadujeevitham . While preparing for the role, which is touted to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the actor, Prithviraj faced numerous questions while determining his approach to the character.

Prithviraj reflected, "When Blessy approached me with this film, the first thought that crossed my mind was, how should I approach this character? I pondered whether I should meet you and understand who you really are, or grasp the character Najeeb as written by Benyamin, or the Najeeb envisioned by Blessy. I grappled with this confusion. Eventually, I decided to draw insights from the book and Blessy, and envision a Najeeb that I could portray on screen."

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Prithviraj deep dive into Aadujeevitham

Following the release of Aadujeevitham, Prithviraj engaged in a conversation with the real-life Najeeb Muhammad to assess how accurately he had depicted the character's true sufferings. "If I recall correctly, I have only portrayed 2-3 real-life characters in movies. It's the first time I've met a character that I've portrayed in real life. As an actor, it's a profoundly divine experience for me," he added.

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Prithviraj was keen to ascertain whether Najeeb was satisfied with his portrayal of his story. Earlier, Najeeb reacted to Aadujeevitham, expressing that he couldn't help but shed tears while watching Prithviraj's performance.

The real Najeeb Muhammad

Recalling the horrors he endured during his captivity, Najeeb shared, "I completely lost my mind due to the circumstances and my experience there," explaining that he lost track of time in the middle of the desert.

Najeeb recounted feeling convinced that he would never escape from the ordeal in the desert. "I prayed to every single God to grant me death. I believed that death was far better than life in that situation. Many times I would lie down on the sand, hoping some creature would bite me and end my suffering. But then, when I woke up, all I could think about was my wife, who was eight months pregnant when I left. I was consumed with thoughts of whether she safely delivered the baby," he recalled.

Released last week, Aadujeevitham has received predominantly glowing reviews from both critics and audiences alike.