Abhinaya: a performer against all odds
It is said that you can see a person’s soul by looking into their eyes. Gestures can convey far more than what words can. And this is more true in the case of 19 year old Abhinaya, whose name means ‘to perform’ and she is a performer, an actress. And what is special about this youngstser? One might ask. Abhinaya has worked against all odds and overcome her disabilities to become an actress. Abhinaya is deaf and mute by birth.
Born to Mr Anand Varma , an ex serviceman with the Indian Air Force and , Mrs Hemalatha ,a house wife, Abhinaya did not cry or react to any sounds for almost two weeks after birth. Even though her parents informed the doctor about this their pleas were not heard. For two years Abhinaya did not stand, crawl or even sit by herself. It was only after consultations with many doctors that her parents were guiding along the right path. Abhinaya was enrolled into the Oral School for the deaf at Marredpalli where she was rehabilitated. Abhinaya went on to study at the Montessori School and St Ann’s School in Taranaka. “Even though I studied in normal schools I could not complete my education. I have studied only up to the 7th standard because of difficulties that I had faced. But I intent to at least finish 10th standard” says this chirpy girl with the never-say-die attitude.
It was Abhinaya’s father who encouraged his daughter to act, an unlikely field for a girl with her kind of challenges. “On the day she was born I knew that I wanted her to become an actress and that is why I named her as ‘Abhinaya’”, said the visibly proud father, who has acted in a couple of films himself “I used to take her to film shootings. Every time she would see a film poster she would gesture that she wanted to be on them. We have only encouraged her thereafter”.
After a Cochlear Implant surgery at the age of 12 years Abhinaya was able to distinguish beats of different sounds “I can make out different beats. We speak English at home, mostly. So I can make out the difference in the sounds in that language.” said Abhinaya, who communicates with the help of her mother’s translations. In fact it is Mrs Hemalatha , who reads and translates the scripts to Abhinaya. Before a shoot Mrs Hemalatha translates the dialogues and explains what expression is needed and what lip movements are required.
Her first movie break came when Tamil film director Samudra Kanni spotted her photographs and asked her to star in his movie ‘Nadodigal’ “My father would meet with directors and producers he knew and tell them about me. Once he had given my snaps to Malayalam director Sleeba and it was near him that director Samudra Kanni saw me. After knowing about me he wanted to prove that nothing is impossible and signed me on to act in his movie.” Both director Samudra Kanni and Abhinaya were lauded for their work by the audiences as well as the critics.
“I owe it all to my parents. My mother has worked hard. A day before the shoot my mother sits with the director and asks him what needs to be done. She then tells me the dialogues and how to perform. The first time I saw myself on screen I touched my parents’ feet and cried. It is only because of them that I am what I am today. When they see my pictures in the paper and posters, the happiness that my parents and brothers feel, knows no bounds”.
Abhinaya is presently on a roll, having acted as actor Ravi Teja’s sister in the formers latest film ‘Sambho Siva Sambho’ also starring Allari Naresh and Siva Balaji. Abhinaya is now getting set to work in her second Tamil film to be directed by Shashi Kumar. “Once I have achieved what I have set out for, I would like to help the poor live a better life” saying this ever smiling girl who becomes an inspiration for whom ever she meets.
