Despite her inability to express herself through speech, Abhinaya’s radiant smile and sparkling eyes speak volumes. Refusing to let her disability hinder her aspirations, she made her cinematic debut in director Samudrakani’s Tamil film ‘Nadodigal’. Her performance garnered widespread acclaim, earning her multiple awards, including the prestigious ‘Filmfare Award for Best Debut Actor’.

Abhinaya's career quickly gained momentum as she worked on the Kannada remake of ‘Nadodigal’ alongside Puneeth Raaj Kumar and portrayed a pivotal role in Sasi Kumar’s Tamil film ‘Easan’. Her rising trajectory continued as she shared the screen with Tamil superstar Surya in A.R. Murugadoss’ ‘7am Arivu’.

This journey was anything but easy. Abhinaya’s mother, Hemalatha, who accompanies her to shoots, can attest to the challenges faced. The youngest of three siblings, Abhinaya was unresponsive to sounds from birth. Raised in Hyderabad, she attended a special school that catered to her needs.

“On her way to school, she would gaze longingly at billboards featuring beautiful models, dreaming of one day being in their place,” Hemalatha recalls.

Abhinaya idolized Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and was inspired by visits to film sets in Hyderabad, where her father, M.D. Gyananand—a veteran actor in Tamil and Telugu films—worked. “She would mimic the actors after every take,” Hemalatha says with a smile.

At the age of 13, Abhinaya underwent a cochlear implant performed by Dr. Mohan Kameswaran in Chennai, which allowed her to hear with the aid of hearing devices. “The surgery was challenging,” Hemalatha recounts. “However, the subsequent audio-visual training was even more demanding, often leading to frustration for Abhinaya. The sudden introduction of sound was initially painful, but she gradually adapted.”

At 17, Abhinaya faced the camera for the first time in ‘Nadodigal’. Hemalatha assists her daughter with her lines, while directors use a wave of a handkerchief to signal ‘Lights, Action, Camera’.

Hemalatha praises assistant director Binoy for his support on the sets of Abhinaya’s Malayalam films, noting, “Binoy was instrumental in easing Abhinaya’s work, acting as both an assistant director and a speech therapist.”

Abhinaya’s directors unanimously commend her quick learning ability. Clearly, this young and promising actor is unstoppable, charting a remarkable path in the film industry.

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Source / Image Credit : Times of India , The Hindu