The film’s release has reignited discussions surrounding Najeeb’s peril, shedding light on the unimaginable experiences he faced as depicted in Benyamin’s renowned 2008 novel ‘Aaduejeevitham’.
Najeeb Muhammad’s journey began in the quaint village of Arattupuzha near Haripad town in Alappuzha district, Kerala. Seeking to provide a better life for his family, Najeeb embarked on a fateful migration to Saudi Arabia in 1992, driven by the promise of employment opportunities. Little did he know that his aspirations would be shattered by the cruel hands of fate.
Upon arrival in Riyadh, Najeeb fell victim to a deceitful kidnapping orchestrated by an Arab posing as his employer, thrusting him into a nightmare of captivity. Stranded on a remote desert goat farm, Najeeb endured over three years of unimaginable hardship, stripped of his dignity and forced into slavery, tasked with herding hundreds of goats.
His days were marked by solitude and suffering, surviving solely on stale khubus, dampened with goat’s milk, and tainted with the stench of unwashed animals. Cut off from the world, Najeeb’s thoughts lingered on his pregnant wife back home, consumed by worry and uncertainty about her well-being.
Yet, amidst the despair, Najeeb clung to a flicker of hope, with dreams of escape. In a daring bid for freedom, he seized an opportunity when his captor was absent, embarking on a dangerous journey across the desert. With every step, he braved exhaustion and dehydration until finally encountering a road and the help of a stranger who offered him refuge.
Guided by the kindness of a Malayali fellow, Najeeb found sanctuary in Riyadh, where he surrendered to the authorities and secured passage back to his homeland, India. His return marked not only a reunion with loved ones but also the beginning of a long road to recovery and redemption.
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Resuming his life as a daily wage laborer, Najeeb’s resilience continued to shine, eventually finding employment in Bahrain, where his son, Safeer, was also offered opportunities by the Lulu Group, touched by Najeeb’s extraordinary tale of survival.
As ‘Aadujeevitham’ captures the essence of Najeeb’s journey on the silver screen, audiences are compelled to reflect on the enduring human spirit and the triumph of hope over difficulties in life.
