Prithviraj starrer 'Aadujeevitham', directed by veteran director Blessy, has been selected in the initial round for the 97th Academy Awards.

It is worth noting that the film has been nominated in the general category for Best Picture, making it a rare instance of an Indian film being included in this category. Meanwhile, other Indian films named in the Oscars' long list of eligible films include All We Imagine As Light, Kanguva, Girls Will Be Girls, Santhosh, Swantantrya Veer Savarkar, and Band of Maharajas.

Voting for the nominations will commence on January 8. After this, ten films will be shortlisted and the final nominations will be announced on January 17. Previously, another Malayalam film, '2018', reached the preliminary round but did not advance further.

Earlier, Musical maestro AR Rahman won the prestigious 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Award for his work in the Malayalam film 'Aadujeevitham'. Blessy accepted the award on behalf of AR Rahman at the ceremony in Los Angeles, celebrating the remarkable achievement of the film's musical composition. Widely regarded as a precursor to the Oscars, the Hollywood Music in Media Award honours exceptional contributions to original music across various visual media. 

Aadujeevitham has 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 also features 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.