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Making a mark in cinema is no easy task. Among the countless aspirants who dream of entering the industry, only a few get the chance to start a career; even fewer manage to stand out and secure more opportunities and only a select few go on to enjoy a long and successful career. Hence, to have been around for 18 years in the industry, completing 59 films, and earning a name, respect and the love of audiences is no small feat; but Abhinaya has achieved all these and is ready to scale even greater heights. As she basks in the success of her latest Malayalam film Pani, which recently premiered on SonyLIV after a successful theatrical run, Abhinaya is nothing short of ecstatic.
In an exclusive conversation with SCREEN, she talks about her experience working on Pani, helmed by actor Joju George in his debut as a director, the criticism the film received over its portrayal of a rape scene, her acting journey so far, what lies ahead on her path, and more.
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Reflecting on what made her say yes to playing the character Gowri in Pani, Abhinaya says, “I liked its script very much. Gowri is a very impactful character and I felt it would be a great breakthrough in my career. Also, this is Joju sir’s directorial debut, which added to my excitement.” Discussing the challenges of portraying Gowri, she notes, “Acting in Malayalam films is quite different from working in Tamil, Telugu or Kannada because we have to perform differently. In other industries, your expressions must be really loud, but in Malayalam, they mostly prefer natural and subtle acting. Luckily, Joju sir supported and guided me very well during the making of Pani. Whenever he felt like I was going overboard, he would tell me, ‘Abhinaya, you have to lower your expressions and be very natural. Your expressions need to be very subtle. It’s a very calm and composed character.'”
An actor who has defied her hearing and speech impairments and worked across multiple languages, including Hindi, Abhinaya also offers insights into her process: “First, my elder brother reads the scripts and gives me feedback, suggesting whether I should take on a project or not. Once I commit to a movie, I work to understand my character, how it should be performed and the director’s expectations. Then, I take help from the respective assistant directors who help me practise the dialogues. If I have lengthy dialogues, then I take around 2-3 days before the shoot to practice all the lines and to perfect the lip sync. If there are fewer or no dialogues, then I won’t need to practice that much. It also depends on the language; I understand Telugu and Tamil better, but Malayalam is very difficult for me.”
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Although Abhinaya received much praise for her performance in Pani, the film, post theatrical release, became embroiled in controversy due to a ‘threatening’ phone call Joju made to a netizen who criticised the portrayal of a rape scene in the film on social media. The netizen argued that the scene was “handled in an immature and objectifying manner.” During her conversation with us, Abhinaya — who appeared in that scene as the survivor — commented on the matter and shared her perspective on the backlash. When asked if she felt the scene was portrayed in a distasteful way, Abhinaya responds, “I would say it’s entirely the director’s choice. Joju sir is a highly experienced actor who has worked in many languages and collaborated with other expert directors as well. It’s all about the director’s choice and I have nothing more to add to that. It’s his creativity and how he wants to portray things in his film. The director’s word is final.”
While Abhinaya has made a remarkable impact across multiple film industries over the years, her first breakthrough role came with the Tamil action drama Naadodigal (2009), helmed by actor-filmmaker Samuthirakani. Her outstanding performance not only earned her several awards but also led to opportunities to reprise her role in the film’s Telugu and Kannada remakes — the Ravi Teja-led Sambho Siva Sambho (2010) and the Puneeth Rajkumar-starrer Hudugaru (2011), respectively. Abhinaya, however, admits she never imagined her life would unfold this way 15 years later. “I still can’t believe I received all these opportunities, fame and above all, the love I get today. It all feels like a dream. I’m so grateful to each and every one of you, and I especially want to thank my appa, amma, my brothers and the Almighty. Also, all my fans who have truly loved, supported and encouraged me over the years.”
Calling Naadodigal and her character Pavithra her favourite film and performance, Abhinaya says, “The team was really amazing. I still remember the shooting days — it was all fun and an incredible experience for a beginner like me. The cherry on top was that the movie became a blockbuster hit. The schedules were well-planned and the team was thoroughly prepared; they knew exactly what they wanted from each actor. The entire team, including the technical crew, was perfect in that film.”
When asked what she would say to her younger self — the Abhinaya enjoying the love and recognition for her performance in Naadodigal — if she were to meet her today, the thespian said she would first remind herself of how incredibly fortunate she was to work with Samuthirakani and Sasikumar, an exceptional opportunity for someone just starting out. “Also, I would tell her to keep up the hard work and continue to select good movies. People still wonder if I am actually hearing and speech impaired. They often approach me and ask how I practice my dialogues and perfect my lip-sync.”
Ask her about her favourite actors and Abhinaya’s list begins with her Pani director-cum-co-star. “Joju sir has always been one of my favourite actors. I had really wanted to meet him for a long time and it felt like a dream come true when I finally did and got the chance to play his on-screen partner. The joy was even greater because Pani also marked his directorial debut. He’s such a fun, loving and kind-hearted person. Tovino Thomas is another one of my favourite actors. I truly enjoy watching his films — he has a special charm.”
When asked if there are any directors she’d love to work with, Abhinaya named SS Rajamouli, the renowned filmmaker behind Baahubali and RRR (2022). “I am a huge fan of all his films and I sincerely hope to get an opportunity to work in his movies.”
Despite always being in the public eye, Abhinaya has never missed a chance to shower love on her family, especially her father, Anand, and her late mother, Hemalatha. Reflecting on the most valuable life lessons she learned from her parents, she shares, “Appa and Amma always taught me to respect and treat everyone equally. They encouraged me to ignore negativity, stay focused on my goals and keep moving forward. They also instilled in me the importance of working diligently, being perfect and staying punctual so that I wouldn’t have room or time for negative thoughts.”
When asked which of her upcoming projects she’s most excited about and eager for the audience to see, she reveals that she has several films in different languages lined up. “The shoot for a Tamil film will begin this month. One Telugu film is expected to start in February, while another Telugu movie is currently in post-production. There’s also a Malayalam film, though its schedule hasn’t been finalised yet, and a Kannada film is also awaiting its turn to begin shooting,” Abhinaya signs off.
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