Prithviraj Sukumaran turned down Chiranjeevi twice using the ‘same excuse’: I was flattered but…

Prithviraj Sukumaran explained at a press conference in Hyderabad why he turned down Chiranjeevi owing to Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life.


Prithviraj Sukumaran’s forthcoming film, Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life, directed by Blessy, has been in the works for some years. At a press conference in Hyderabad, the actor claimed that he was so committed to the project that he turned down Chiranjeevi twice with the’same justification.’ (Also Read: Prithviraj Sukumaran Exclusive Interview: We Wanted Hans Zimmer or AR Rahman for The Goat Life)

I was requested to star in Sye Raa.
Prithviraj claimed that Chiranjeevi approached him for his ambitious project, Sye Raa Narasimha Reddy, in 2019 via Suhasini Maniratnam. “I was quite thrilled; the fact that he considered me for a major role was like a diploma for me. But I apologized and told him that I had just begun filming for this project (Aadujeevitham), for which I had been waiting for a decade. I needed to grow a beard and lose weight. The Indian Express quoted him as stating, “He was fine with it.”

“I said no to directing Godfather.”
Chiranjeevi was invited to return in 2022 for the Telugu version of Prithviraj’s Mohanlal-starrer Lucifer, which was released in 2019. “A few years later, I became a director for Lucifer, which was a success in Kerala. Chiranjeevi Sir acquired the rights to that picture. His company approached me again about directing Lucifer’s Telugu version. Again, I told him, “I would have loved to, sir, but I have a big film I’m doing that requires me to grow a beard and lose weight.” And he was like, “Hey, you told the same story last time.” I had forgotten that I had previously used the same explanation.

But I hope his staff indicated to him that it was correct,” the actor remarked.

About Aadujeevitham.
Blessy and Prithviraj have been attempting to create Aadujeevitham – The Goat Life since 2009. The film is based on Benyamin’s novel, and the filmmaker has signed an agreement with the author. While he began work on the screenplay, budget constraints slowed the film’s production until 2015, when Jimmy Jean-Louis and Steven Adams joined as producers.

AR Rahman and Resul Pookutty, both Oscar winners, provided music and sound design for the film, which was shot between 2018 and 2022. The team was stranded in Jordan for 70 days because to the Covid-19 outbreak and had to be rescued by Indian authorities.