Director Sibi Malayil recently spoke about how Mohanlal became part of Summer in Bethlehem as the character Niranjan. He shared the story during the film’s re-release press meet, explaining the sequence of events that led to Mohanlal’s cameo.
According to screenwriter Ranjith, Mohanlal was approached after they met him in Bangalore, where he was undergoing a month-long wellness treatment. Sibi Malayil said that Mohanlal originally had nearly ten minutes of screen time, but much of it was later edited out, and they even considered restoring it for the re-release.
Sibi Malayil recalled that the movie was being written while shooting was already underway. In the early days of filming, they focused mainly on the songs. When the script reached a particular point, Ranjith felt that another character was needed for the climax—someone whose presence would add weight and star value. They explored several big names, including Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, before realising Mohanlal was available and would be the perfect fit.
Malayil added that Mohanlal was sporting a beard at the time, giving him an unusually calm look that suited the character. He and Ranjith met Mohanlal personally to discuss the part, and the actor’s immediate response was: “Isn’t this your film? We can do it.” Mohanlal then came directly to the location, kept the beard, and delivered the performance that made Niranjan’s appearance so memorable.
