28 years after the release of Summer in Bethlehem, its makers have unveiled a deleted scene from the film on YouTube. The 9.47-minute video was shared on the official channel of production house, Kokers Entertainments.

The scene picks up right after Abhirami (Manju Warrier) and Dennis (Suresh Gopi) return home after meeting Niranjan (Mohanlal) in prison. Although Dennis ties the sacred thread around Abhirami’s neck at Niranjan’s insistence, she struggles to come to terms with the marriage and remains unable to accept him as her partner.

The deleted sequence shows her family, including her cousin, played by Jayaram, and her grandfather, played by Janardhanan, trying to persuade her to accept Dennis. It also features an imaginary segment where Niranjan delivers a monologue, assuring Abhirami that he will remain an unseen presence in their lives.

Judging by the comments on the video, while a section were delighted to see a deleted portion after all the years, many believe the decision to remove the scene was wise, noting that it felt “too dramatic” and diluted the emotional impact of the preceding moment, particularly the iconic cameo by Mohanlal as Niranjan.

Even decades later, Summer in Bethlehem continues to enjoy cult status among Malayali audiences, with its writing, music, and performances still fondly remembered. The film was directed by Sibi Malayil and written by Ranjith. It was also recently restored in 4K and re-released in theatres last December.