Arvind Swamy may have said `no' to a villain's role for making his comeback when Vishal approached him for his Samaran.

But the actor could not refuse when his mentor Mani Ratnam offered him the role of a versatile character in his upcoming flick that has the Rameswaram fishermen as its backdrop. Yes, close sources in Mani's unit revealed that Arvind Swamy, who seems to have shed a few kilos recent ly, has agreed to play a powerful role that has a major bearing on the script. The buzz is that he plays the father character; but whether it is the father of the hero Gautham -the son of yesteryear hero Karthik, or of the female lead Samantha, is unclear.

The movie has garnered a lot of attention with its ensemble cast. While Action King Arjun has already been roped in for a vital negative role, Tollywood actress/producer Lakshmi Manchu is playing a crucial character. Actor Pasupathy has also been signed on. Rajeev Menon will be behind the camera, and Oscar-winning composer A.R.Rahman will be scoring the music.

-dc chn