Allu Arjun on breaking barriers with six-pack abs in South Cinema: It takes one to break the jinx
Allu Arjun revealed at the WAVES Summit 2025 that he was the first South Indian actor to sport six-pack abs on screen, overcoming cultural taboos. Motivated by a challenge, he achieved this look for 'Desamuduru'. He also emphasized the importance of telling authentic, local stories to elevate Indian cinema on the global stage, citing the success of K-Pop and K-dramas.
'
Pushpa
' star
Allu Arjun
recently opened up about being the first actor from the region to put
six-pack abs
on screen. He recalled how, about 20 years ago, having a sculpted physique was culturally uncommon in South Indian films.
While speaking at the
WAVES Summit 2025
on Thursday in Mumbai, the 43-year-old actor admitted with all humility that he sported six-pack abs when nobody did it back in the day.
According to a India Today report, he said "Culturally, it wasn't accepted and there were many taboos around that. I knew that, sometimes, it takes only one person to break the jinx." He further shared that he was motivated by someone who mentioned him that South Indian actors couldn't pull off six-pack abs, Allu Arjun took it as a personal challenge and worked hard to break that barrier.
It was when he was preparing for his film 'Desamuduru' directed by Puri Jagannadh that he had the six-pack abs look.
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Allu Arjun also shared his optimistic vision for Indian cinema's place on the global stage during the session "Talent Beyond Borders". He mentioned that everybody has had an impact on global cinema whether they are Hollywood, Korean, Iranian, and Chinese films, and also spoke out that despite India's vast and historic
film industry
, it has yet to make a serious dent in the international market. He believes that the time is ripe for
Indian cinema
to rise globally.
Allu Arjun stressed that the key to global success lies in telling local stories with authenticity. He explained that the world is rapidly changing, with film industries like K-Pop, K-dramas, and regional films gaining international attention. To reach a global audience, Indian filmmakers must focus on their unique cultural stories.
On his current work front, Allu Arjun is working with Atlee on their upcoming grand film 'AA22xA6'. They will also collaborate with Hollywood studios of cutting-edge VFX.
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