Media365
4 min readKochiOct 7, 2026 05:56 PM IST
Movies getting shelved isn’t a new phenomenon in Malayalam cinema. From Randamoozham, Swarnachamaram, Australia, and Karnan to Dhanushkodi, Kaaliyan, and Antichrist, several films never progressed beyond the initial stages. Recently, director Girish AD’s blockbuster romantic comedy Bethlehem Kudumba Unit brought one such film, Anna, back into the spotlight. Now, the movie is finally set for revival, with a new team taking over.
Veteran producer Tomichan Mulakuppadam — best known for bankrolling blockbusters such as Pulimurugan, Pokkiri Raja, and Ramaleela — recently announced he has acquired the rights to Anna and is gearing up to give it a new lease of life. Taking to social media, he expressed his elation at the endeavour and stated he would announce the cast and crew details later.
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Tomichan Mulakuppadam acquires rights to shelved film Anna
“I am happy to share that I have acquired the rights to the film Anna, which started in the 1990s but was shelved for various reasons. Years later, when the song ‘Yavanakathayil’ from the film became a sensation again through Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, there were many enquiries and discussions about Anna,” he wrote.
Tomichan added, “It is with the desire to bring the story and associated memories of that film to the new generation through new writers that I have taken over the production rights of Anna. A new beginning for a film that stopped midway three decades ago. More details, including the director and cast, will be announced later. Anna is coming back to the silver screen through Mulakuppadam Films.”
What happened to Anna?
For the unversed, master filmmaker Joshiy was set to helm the film in the ’90s, with Arvind Swamy and superstar Sridevi in the lead roles. According to Onmanorama, veteran writer and novelist N Mohanan originally scripted Anna, and Balram of Ambu Films was supposed to produce it. The movie centred on the love story of Hari (Arvind Swamy), a Brahmin boy, and Anna (Sridevi), a Christian girl.
Anna was envisioned with music given the utmost prominence, and legendary composer Ouseppachan and veteran lyricist Shibu Chakravarthy were brought on board for the same. They crafted eight songs for Anna and completed their recordings even before the filming began.
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However, the project soon ran into scheduling problems, as the makers couldn’t match the dates of Arvind Swamy and Sridevi. Team Anna even considered replacing Sridevi with Meena. Yet, Arvind Swamy’s availability remained an issue, further delaying the project. Joshiy also had other movies lined up. Thus, Anna was shelved without any of its scenes being filmed.
Nevertheless, the movie’s music found its way to the public in 1995 when Magna Sound released a cassette containing all eight songs recorded for Anna. “Yavanakathayil” was one of those songs, which director Girish AD included in Bethlehem Kudumba Unit, allowing Anna to rise from the ashes like a phoenix.
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About Bethlehem Kudumba Unit
Featuring Nivin Pauly and Mamitha Baiju in the lead roles, Bethlehem Kudumba Unit opened to rave reviews and emerged as the highest-grossing Malayalam film of all time, earning Rs 330.89 crore worldwide, according to industry tracker Sacnilk.
Also starring Sangeeth Prathap, Suresh Krishna, Vinay Forrt, Roshan Shanavas, and Shyam Mohan, the romantic comedy was bankrolled by Dileesh Pothan, Fahadh Faasil, and Syam Pushkaran under the banner of Bhavana Studios.
