Arvind Swami breaks silence on likely shelved film Anna linked in Bethlehem Kudumba Unit: ‘I never committed…’
Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju’s Bethlehem Kudumba Unit used a song from a shelved project titled Anna, which was speculated to star Arvind Swami.
Published on Oct 14, 2026 | 05:46 PM IST | 3K
(PC: Arvind Swami/Bhavana Studios, IG)
Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju starrer Bethlehem Kudumba Unit featured a song titled Yavanakathayil Ninnu, which went viral online. The track is reportedly from the shelved film Anna, which was rumored to have starred Arvind Swami in the lead role. However, the actor has now clarified his stance on the matter.
Arvind Swami breaks his silence on being linked with Anna
Speaking to Ramkumar Ganeshan on the Truly Ram podcast, Arvind Swami revealed that he had never signed a project titled Anna. He also said he was unaware of who had approached the producers of the Malayalam film regarding the project.
When asked about the song from Anna being used in Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, Arvind said that he had never agreed to act in a film by that name and had not even heard its story. He suggested that someone else might have been approached using his name.
The actor further explained that during the music industry's boom in the 1990s, production houses often recorded and released audio cassettes before finalising scripts or obtaining formal commitments from the lead actors. This practice may have contributed to a misunderstanding that persisted for 31 years.
For the uninitiated, Anna is a shelved film that was rumored to feature Arvind Swami in the lead role. Although the project never materialised, the mystery surrounding the film deepened when its original screenplay went missing.
Following the demise of writer N. Mohanan in October 1999, his close friends attempted to locate the manuscript. They discovered that a well-known assistant director had borrowed the script to read. However, the assistant director died in an accident shortly afterwards. His family promised to search his belongings for the pages, but the screenplay was never recovered.
Interestingly, Pulimurugan producer Tomichan Mulakuppadam confirmed that he had purchased the film's rights and hinted at the possibility of reviving the project.
Arvind Swami’s work front
Arvind Swami was last seen in a leading role in Gandhi Talks, a silent film directed by Kishor Pandurang Belekar, which also featured Vijay Sethupathi and Aditi Rao Hydari in lead roles.
Looking ahead, the actor is expected to play the main antagonist in Monster, starring Salman Khan and directed by Vamshi Paidipally.
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