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Anaswara Rajan reveals how she thought that Alllu Arjun was a Malayalam actor in her childhood

Anaswara also said that for a long time, she mistakenly viewed a lot of Telugu movies that had been dubbed into Malayalam, thinking they were made in her home state. She didn't know what language the movies were originally in till later.

December 21, 2025 / 14:00 IST
Anaswara Rajan talks about Allu Arjun

Tollywood star Allu Arjun has been very popular in Kerala for a long time. His fan base expanded steadily with the dubbed Malayalam versions of his early hits like Arya and Happy. Malayali audiences got so used to seeing him on film that for a lot of them, the border between industries silently dissolved.

Anaswara Rajan, a young Malayalam actress who is getting ready to make her Telugu debut in the upcoming movie Champion, recently revealed a story from her childhood that shows how this cultural crossing is so special.

Anaswara, in a recent interview told that when she was a child, she really thought Allu Arjun was a Malayalam movie star. She said that he was so popular on Kerala television and in dubbed movies that she never thought about where his movies were from or what language they were in.

Anaswara also said that for a long time, she mistakenly viewed a lot of Telugu movies that had been dubbed into Malayalam, thinking they were made in her home state. She didn't know what language the movies were originally in till later.

She remembered that SS Rajamouli's hit movie Magadheera, which starred Ram Charan and Kajal Aggarwal, was the first movie that made her realise she had been watching Telugu movies all along. For years, Allu Arjun's movies were regularly dubbed and shown in Kerala, where they became a popular form of entertainment. Because of this, a whole generation of fans grew up thinking of him as tightly tied to Malayalam cinema.

Also Read: Varanasi: Priyanka Chopra reveals the budget for Mahesh Babu and Rajamouli’s next

This shows how popular dubbed Telugu films are in the state. Anaswara Rajan will make her Telugu debut in Champion, a period sports drama set in the time before India became independent. Roshan Meka plays Michael, a footballer who wants to play in London. The movie covers his struggle to make that happen. Champion, directed by Pradeep Advaitham, is set to come out on Christmas Day, December 25.

Bhawana Tanmayi is a Hyderabad-based freelance entertainment journalist. Views expressed are personal.
first published: Dec 21, 2025 02:00 pm

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