‘Mohanlal insulted SN Swamy’ controversy: Screenwriter breaks silence, says, ‘Anyone who knows Lal…’ | Malayalam News
3 min readKochiFeb 20, 2026 05:47 PM IST
The recent trailer launch event of director B Unnikrishnan’s Nivin Pauly-starrer Prathichaya was a starry affair, but one moment featuring Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, who attended the ceremony as the chief guest, created headlines for the wrong reason. Following the event, a short clip went viral on social media, showing Mohanlal and legendary screenwriter SN Swamy climbing down a set of stairs, struggling to wade through the crowd that had gathered around them. Amid much clamour, the microphones caught one or two sentences the superstar apparently muttered in a low voice, and a set of netizens immediately interpreted those words and his subsequent actions through their own perceptions, quickly concluding that “Mohanlal insulted SN Swamy!”
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However, the veteran screenwriter has now stepped forward to refute the allegations against the actor, calling them baseless, while maintaining that their bond dates back four decades. He also asserted that Mohanlal isn’t a person who would disrespect anyone.
For the unversed, the viral clip featured Mohanlal quickly leaving the venue after the event. As he was descending the stairs, Swamy was next to him, as was producer Antony Perumbavoor. Suddenly, Mohanlal was heard asking, “You came in between?” He then leaned towards Swamy and said, “If you could move a bit, I could leave.” The incident soon caught the attention of netizens, some of whom alleged that Mohanlal disrespected the scriptwriter, and that too one who had given him several blockbusters.
Refuting the allegations, Swamy told Onmanorama, “I was not insulted. Mohanlal and I go a long way back, nearly 40 years. During this entire period, the actor has never spoken ill of me. Rather, we share a good bond and also respect each other. Anyone who knows Lal, would know that he isn’t a person who treats others with disrespect. Rather, he ensures he is respectful to everyone around him. I know social media can be misleading, but this is the first time an incident involving me was dissected like this. I guess, we have no control over social media and the narrative formed through it.”
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Swamy also clarified that Mohanlal’s “You came in between?” reaction was aimed at a photographer who had returned to take another photo of the superstar, causing more congestion in the area. A further inspection of the clip shows that Mohanlal, in fact, made the comment when someone brought their phone up to the superstar’s face, attempting to take an unwarranted selfie as they all were all climbing down the stairs.
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One of Malayalam cinema’s most celebrated screenwriters, noted for creating many blockbuster thrillers, SN Swamy is best known for developing the CBI franchise, headlined by Mammootty. He has been working with Mohanlal since his sophomore venture, Koodum Thedi (1985). Their notable movies together include Irupatham Noottandu (1987), Moonnam Mura (1988), Naduvazhikal (1989), Baba Kalyani (2006), Sagar alias Jacky Reloaded (2009), and Janakan (2010).
