Allu Arjun reveals actress told him south actors can't make 6-pack abs: 'Needed only one person to break...'

Actor Allu Arjun, who gained spotlight across the globe with the success of the 'Pushpa' film series, attended WAVES 2025 at the Jio World Centre in Mumbai on Thursday. During the event, he talked about the success of 'Pushpa 2' and also emphasised the importance of fitness in an actor's life.

The actor thanked the Government of India for organising the Waves Summit 2025 for the entertainment industry. While talking about his life after the success of Pushpa 2, Allu Arjun said that he was a regional actor before, but now everyone knows about him.

"At least everybody knows my face now. I am a regional actor, and I used to work in Telugu films and have popularity in other parts of the south, but now, because of 'Pushpa' and with the love of Indian audience now I am more familiar face, and everyone knows me.."

The actor has had a big year, with his film Pushpa 2: The Rule creating history at the box office. Released in December last year, the movie went on to break several records. Directed by Sukumar, the action-drama features Allu Arjun in the role of Pushpa Raj, alongside Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil. The actor has also received the National Award for Best Actor for his performance in Pushpa: The Rise.

In the session, the actor further shared how he approaches fitness, saying, "It is about the mindset. Back in those days, about 20 years ago,...there were a lot of taboos around that... I knew that it needed only one person to break that. Someone motivated me by saying, 'I do not think South actors can come up with six packs.' One of the actresses I worked with said that, and then I took it as a challenge and did it for my people, and I could do say that."

"Obviously fitness is a very keen aspect of every actor because especially being an Indian actor you have to dance, you have to fight, and you do not know when the schedule might start up..it might start up from a song..start up with the fight..you have to be physically prepared for everything. So fitness is extremely important. I started at a very young age...at the age of 19-20..over the years, got a lot of experiences and injuries. It is extremely tough, but it is worth when you see yourself on the big screen and you have millions of people appreciating it," he added. On talking about maintaining his versatility as an actor, he said,

"Every movie is unique, and every movie should not repeat itself, but unknowingly we all have patterns, but as much as possible, consciously we should try to remove those patterns and try to come up with something new, something original. In such a competitive world, you have to present your best...so that inspiration to serve people something new, something best has made me a versatile actor.. I think versatility is a by-product."

He also opened up about an accident, saying, "After shooting for my tenth film, I had an accident...I had a shoulder rotator cuff tear. And I was very known for my physical fitness and acrobatic skills, and when I broke my shoulder, I did have a minor tear before, and it was just a small surgery, and then I was back in three weeks, and within the fourth week, I was in the gym, so I was expecting the same..Once I went to the hospital, it was in Australia, and the doctor said you have to take six months off."

The 'Pushpa' actor continued, "That was like a big blow for me because we have to start shooting in two-three months and I did not have that time and that was the most fearful moment as I was banking so much on my physical fitness and then this thing stuck my mind that physical fitness and agility will deteriorate by age so what matters is your performance so I started focussing on that after by my tenth film..."

Meanwhile, WAVES 2025 is a four-day summit with the tagline "Connecting Creators, Connecting Countries," aimed at positioning India as a global hub for media, entertainment, and digital innovation. The event brings together creators, startups, industry leaders, and policymakers from around the world. WAVES 2025 will witness participation from over 90 countries, with more than 10,000 delegates, 1,000 creators, 300+ companies, and 350+ startups.

The summit will feature 42 plenary sessions, 39 breakout sessions, and 32 masterclasses spanning diverse sectors including broadcasting, infotainment, AVGC-XR, films, and digital media. The summit was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who declared the event a historic milestone in India's cultural and creative journey. The four-day event, which began on May 1, will run until May 4.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)