Academy Award-winning sound designer Resul Pookutty has been nominated for the 72nd Annual Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) Golden Reel Awards. He has been recognised in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature International for his work on the Malayalam film Aadujeevitham (The Goat Life), directed by Blessy and headlined by Prithviraj Sukumaran. Earlier, Resul won the Golden Reel Award for Best Sound in 2016 for his work on the documentary India's Daughter.
Resul’s latest nomination places Aadujeevitham alongside notable international films, including Emilia Perez, which recently swept four awards at the Golden Globes, Denmark's official Academy Award submission The Girl with the Needle, and Ireland's entry Kneecap.
Established in 1953, the MPSE Golden Reel Awards honour excellence in sound editing, sound design, music editing, and foley artistry across film, television, and gaming. The winners of this prestigious accolade will be announced at the annual gala on February 23 at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre in Los Angeles. Actor and comedian Patton Oswalt is set to host the ceremony. The event will also feature honorary awards, with Kevin Costner receiving the Filmmaker Award and supervising sound editor Greg Hedgepath being honoured with the Career Achievement Award.
Resul’s illustrious career is marked by numerous accolades. He previously won an Oscar for Best Sound Mixing for Slumdog Millionaire in 2009, as well as a BAFTA Award for Best Sound for the same film. He was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2010. His other notable achievements include a National Film Award for Best Audiography for Pazhassi Raja in 2010, another for Oththa Seruppu Size 7 in 2019, and the Kerala State Film Award for Best Sound Design in 2024 for Aadujeevitham.
Based on Benyamin’s best-selling novel, Aadujeevitham is a survival drama that follows Najeeb, a Malayali expatriate stranded in Saudi Arabia. In addition to Prithviraj, the film features Amala Paul, KR Gokul, and Jimmy Jean-Louis in pivotal roles. Released theatrically last year, the film reportedly grossed over Rs 150 crore worldwide, according to the makers. Meanwhile, it has been included in the Oscars' Best Picture eligibility list, alongside Payal Kapadia's Grand Prix-winning All We Imagine As Light, Shuchi Talati's Girls Will Be Girls and the Suriya-starrer Kanguva, among more than 300 films from across the globe. The Academy's voting process will take place from January 8 to 12, with the final nominations set to be announced on January 17.