Jordanian actor apologises for role in 'Aadujeevitham, regrets 'negative portrayal' of Saudi Arabia

Jordan: In a curious gesture, a Jordanian actor who had played a negative role in the much acclaimed Malayalam movie 'Aadujeevitham: The Goat Life' has expressed regret over acting in it. Actor Akef Najem also apologised to the Saudi Arabian people.

The actor said he wanted to portray Saudi Arabia and the Saudi people in the best way in the film. But the real story came to light after the release of the movie, he said, adding that he had not read the script completely. 

The actor informed through social media that he realised that it was against Saudi interests when he saw the film.

Earlier, there were reports that Omani actor Talib Al Balushi was banned from entering Saudi Arabia for playing the role of a villainous Arab in the Aadujeevitham- Goat Life. However, the actor refuted the reports.

Aadujeevitham- the 2024 Malayalam-language survival drama film, written, directed and co-produced by Blessy,  had won nine Kerala state awards, including Best Actor (Prithviraj) and Best Director (Blessy). Adapted from Benyamin's 2008 best-selling Malayalam novel ‘Aadujeevitham’, the film recounts the true story of Najeeb, a Malayali immigrant labourer among thousands of Indians who were subjected to forced labour in Saudi Arabia as goatherds on remote desert farms. 

The film features Prithviraj Sukumaran, Jimmy Jean-Louis, and K R Gokul in leading roles, with Talib Al Balushi, Akef Najem, Rik Aby, Amala Paul and Shobha Mohan in supporting roles.