Abhirami welcomes the change in Tamil cinema: ‘Blast’ actress says, ‘Stereotypes have been broken' Exclusive

Actress Abhirami is entering a completely new phase in her career with her latest release, 'Blast,' which hit theaters today (May 28). An actress known for her incredible performances in movies such as 'Virumaandi' and 'Maharaja' is now surprising everyone with an amazing physical change and an action-oriented performance in the movie 'Blast.'During an exclusive interaction with Etimes, Abhirami admitted that the journey was physically demanding but emotionally rewarding. “It was tough. But the end goal was in sight, so it was worth it,” she said while talking about her fitness transformation. The actress also shared that seeing her own transformation pictures now motivates and inspires her. Fans have already started praising her dedication, especially after her new look from the film began trending online.Speaking about the changing space for women in cinema, Abhirami said she feels “lucky and blessed” to continue receiving meaningful roles even after decades in the industry. According to her, Tamil cinema has slowly started breaking old stereotypes attached to actresses after a certain age. “Not everyone gets good roles. I see this as a positive change in cinema,” she explained.Abhirami pointed out that female actors were once pushed into limited categories after crossing a certain age, but things are now improving. “Beyond that, the stereotypes have been broken. People have started thinking differently,” she added. Her comments connected strongly with audiences, especially women who have followed her journey from emotional dramas to mature performance-driven roles.Abhirami also revealed that her transformation journey actually began because of a back injury she suffered before the shoot of Blast. The actress said health and fitness were always important to her, but the injury pushed her to take things more seriously. “Little changes helped me in a big way,” she shared. She credited the right nutritionist, physiotherapist, and trainer for helping her improve both physically and mentally.Since 'Blast' revolves around a martial arts family, the action scenes demanded proper preparation and discipline. “If we don’t train properly, the audience will immediately notice it,” she said honestly. Abhirami also praised Arjun Sarja, stunt master Prabhu, and the stunt team for supporting and protecting the actors during difficult sequences. “They took great care of us. Without their cooperation, we could not have done this,” she said.The 'Blast' actress also became passionate while speaking about reuniting with Arjun Sarja after many years. Abhirami recalled that she was still new to the industry when she first worked with him in earlier films like Vanavil and was learning the basics of cinema at that stage of her career. “I was only two or three films old then. I was still learning,” she shared while reflecting on those memories.Abhirami said Arjun has remained the same grounded and disciplined person even after enjoying such a long career in the film industry. She also spoke warmly about his family and said it was nice to see the respect and balance he has maintained in both personal and professional life. “It is nice to see that his career has stayed strong for so long,” she added, praising the actor’s consistency and dedication over the years.Abhirami also had warm words for Preity Mukhundhan, who plays her daughter in 'Blast.' Praising the young actress's effort during the action-heavy shoot, Abhirami said, “Preity is a complete package. She has the talent, the screen presence, and the dedication.” The actress added that Preity handled the physically demanding portions of the film with maturity despite the pressure of intense action sequences. “She worked very hard throughout the shoot and gave her full commitment,” Abhirami shared.“It is nice to see that his career has stayed strong for so long,” she said warmly. She also praised director Subash K. Raj for his clarity while designing action scenes. According to her, the debut filmmaker explained even the choreography and visual approach in detail during narration itself.Apart from acting, Abhirami also opened up about her love for dubbing, revealing that Kamal Haasan encouraged her to enter dubbing work in Tamil cinema. Calling dubbing “a separate art form,” the actress admitted she now feels worried about artificial intelligence affecting voice artists.“It is an art form that is slowly being eaten up by AI,” she said to conclude the conversation on a thoughtful note.