'BKU' reference: Joshiy's lost film 'Anna' gets new life

Producer Tomichan Mulakupadam has acquired the rights to 'Anna,' a dream project of veteran filmmaker Joshiy, shelved almost three decades ago. The movie, which was supposed to be bankrolled by N Mohan, had Aravind Swamy and Sridevi in the lead roles. Tomichan, in a Facebook post, revealed he has now acquired the rights to the movie from Mohan’s family, hoping to give it a new lease of life.

The producer will announce the project at the tenth anniversary celebration of the release of Pulimurugan, the first Malayalam movie to enter the Rs 100 crore club. Tomichan Mulakupadam, while speaking to Manorama News, said ‘Anna revolved around a Brahmin man and a Christian woman, but the story will be presented with certain changes to suit the modern age.
‘Anna’ was shelved nearly 30 years ago, reportedly due to several issues, including the unavailability of lead actors Aravind Swamy and Sridevi, among others. The long-forgotten project recently piqued the curiosity of Malayali audiences after it was mentioned in the blockbuster ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’. This was followed by unconfirmed reports that the film’s screenplay had been lost.

However, following the release of ‘Bethlehem Kudumba Unit’, producer Tomichan Mulakupadam approached director Mohan’s family and acquired the rights to the project. The makers are now reportedly in talks with Joshiy to direct the new version of ‘Anna’. Though Onmanorama tried to contact the veteran director, he is yet to respond to the update. The big question for moviegoers, meanwhile, is who will step into the roles originally played by Aravind Swamy and Sridevi.