ACTRESS PICTURES

Her expressive eyes and cool demeanour have put Abhinaya on the road to film stardom, but if you ask her about the newfound fame, she would be speechless . Thats because she might not have heard your question and, even if she did, she cant speak.
But now, lady luck is on her side, thanks to years of therapy and training to overcome her speech and hearing impairment.

Abhinaya not only made her debut in the latest Tamil hit Nadodigal , directed by Samudrakani, but also landed herself the female lead in acclaimed director Sasis forthcoming film.

Her father Anand Verma, who has featured in many Tamil and Telugu films, said that Samudrakani and Sasi approached her after seeing her in an advertisement. I told Samudrakani of Abhinayas shortcoming, but he expressed confidence that he could make her act and signed her up.

Abhinaya had mastered sign language and lip reading in English, Verma said. She had also undergone a risky operation that had helped her hear with the help of a machine. Samudrakani gave her dialogues in advance . She would write them in English and practice with the help of her mother. Co-artistes would also keep communicating with her, Verma said. The collective efforts of the director, mother Hemalatha and Abhinayas determination ensured that the teenager did most of her parts without retakes.

The efforts paid off as the film is a big hit. Abhinaya , who loves pets and Sudoku, has discontinued her studies at Std X to focus on her career. She has a role in the Telugu remake of Nadodigal and is likely to be retained for the Hindi and Kannada versions too.

Awards:

Winner, Filmfare Best Female Debut (South)
Winner, Vijay Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated, Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award (Tamil)
Nominated, Vijay Award for Best Debut Actress
Vijay Best Supporting Actor (Female) 2009 - "Nadodigal"