4 minutes of readingNew DelhiJanuary 29, 2026 12:48 pm IST
Arvind Swamy became a pan-India star long before the term was used in mainstream cinema with films like Rust and Bombay in the early 1990s. But unlike today’s Indian stars, Arvind was very selective with his films and only chose projects that he was truly passionate about. But, in 2005, Arvind suffered a spinal injury that left him partially paralyzed and the physical and mental toll of that injury kept him away from films. In a recent talk held during the Melbourne Indian Film Festival, Arvind spoke about that phase of his life and shared that the injury left him in immense pain for almost a year and a half, because he decided not to have surgery. But things changed when she met an Ayurvedic practitioner and started walking just three days after starting her treatment with him. Arvind noted that while it worked for him, he will not recommend it to everyone but they should follow the medical advice given to them.
Arvind remembers that he was bedridden after his injury in 2005 and shared, “This happened for a year and a half just because I made the decision not to have surgery.” Arvind shared that while he was making a decision about the surgery and agreeing to have it done, he met an Ayurvedic practitioner from Kerala. By his own admission, he was always surrounded by people who believed in allopathy, so he “never thought of Ayurveda as an option.”
“For a year and a half I was in a lot of pain and my mobility was affected, but in three days it made me walk. It worked for me. You shouldn’t make decisions based on my choices. I’m just saying this worked for me,” he said, insisting that this was his personal experience with Ayurveda, which should not influence others who might be in a similar situation. He said there is “ancient wisdom” in Ayurveda that worked for him, adding: “There is also a lot of wisdom in allopathy and it has worked for me too.”
Arvind said this 18-month period was more of a mental struggle than a physical one. “Because the ability to be able to deal with pain and immobility, I think it’s all in the mind, to a large extent,” he said, adding that he didn’t allow himself to ask himself, “Why me?” He kept his mental faculties active by playing board games, puzzles, and chess, allowing his mind to tire at the end of each day.
Arvind said that after he started to improve, he didn’t want to push himself too hard because he was “happy to be mobile and pain-free, and didn’t want to go down the next path.” Arvind said that since his children were too young and he was a single father, he wanted to weigh his options before taking the next step. In the midst of this, Mani Ratnam approached him to do a film, Kadal.
“13 years had passed. I never thought I would make a movie again. I told him that I was not feeling well physically. Due to a lot of medication, I had gained a lot of weight and lost my hair. I was not prepared to act,” he shared and recalled that after physical and mental preparation, he launched himself into the project. The film did not do very well at the box office, but it brought Arvind back to the big screen.
Arvind will be seen next in Gandhi Talks.
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DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information in the public domain. Always consult your health professional before starting any routine.