Actor Arvind Swamy rose to fame in the 1990s with hit films such as Roja and Bombay. He became a well-known face not just in Tamil Nadu but across the country due to the popularity of his movies. Despite his success, Arvind was selective about his work and chose projects he truly cared about. However, in 2005, he suffered a spinal injury that left him partially paralysed. The physical and mental toll of the injury pushed him away from films for a long time.

Arvind Swamy on his paralysis phase

Recently, Arvind spoke about this phase at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. He revealed that the injury left him in pain for nearly a year and a half as he initially refused to undergo surgery. Things changed when he opted for Ayurvedic treatment and began walking within just three days.

Arvind recalled that he was bedridden in 2005 due to the injury, a situation that lasted for a year and a half because he chose not to have surgery. Later, he decided to go ahead with treatment, which led him to an Ayurvedic practitioner from Kerala. The actor admitted he had never previously considered Ayurveda, as he was always surrounded by people who believed in allopathy.

While Ayurveda worked for him, Arvind said he would not recommend it universally and urged people to follow proper medical advice. “For one and a half years, I was in a lot of pain and my mobility was affected, but in three days, he made me walk. It worked for me. I am not saying you should make choices based on my experience,” he said.

He added that there is “ancient wisdom” in Ayurveda that helped him, while also acknowledging that allopathy has worked for him as well.

Arvind said the period when he was bedridden was more mentally challenging than physically. He kept himself mentally active by playing board games, puzzles, and chess, which helped him cope with the situation.

After his recovery, Arvind chose not to push himself too hard. At the time, his children were very young and he was a single father, prompting him to move forward cautiously. His return to films came when Mani Ratnam offered him Kadal. He shared that after 13 years away from acting, he never thought he would return, but prepared himself mentally and physically before taking up the film.

Arvind Swamy will next be seen in Gandhi Talks, a silent film also starring Vijay Sethupathi and Aditi Rao Hydari, with music by AR Rahman.