Actor Arjun Chidambaram, who was recently seen in Blast, says one of the biggest turning points in his career came with Nerkonda Paarvai—not just because he got to share screen space with Ajith Kumar, but because the film introduced him to a much wider audience.

Speaking to CE, Arjun credited director H Vinoth for changing the trajectory of his career. “I have to say a big thank you to H Vinoth sir. It is because I got the opportunity to star alongside Ajith sir in Nerkonda Paarvai that people got to know who I was,” he says.

Directed by H Vinoth and headlined by Ajith Kumar, Nerkonda Paarvai was the Tamil remake of Pink and explored themes of consent and gender politics through a courtroom drama. While Ajith played the central role, the film also drew attention for its supporting cast, including Arjun, whose performance left a lasting impact on audiences.

Interestingly, Arjun reveals that before working with Ajith, he never considered himself part of any star fandom. “Before meeting Ajith sir, I was not a fan of his. I loved his performances, but I wasn't a fan of anybody. But after meeting him, I became a huge fan,” he says, adding with a laugh, “Even today I am waiting for the call where they ask my dates for an Ajith sir film.”

While Nerkonda Paarvai earned critical and commercial success, Arjun’s role also came with an unexpected side effect: intense audience reactions. Recalling the days after the film’s release, he says people often responded to him based on his character rather than as an actor.

“After Nerkonda Paarvai, I received a lot of hate for my character. For example, if I met a mother and her daughter, the mother would protect her child from me. They openly told me they feared me,” he recalls.

But for Arjun, the hostility was strangely rewarding. “The hate came positively, as someone said, ‘I wanted to slap you after watching you in the film. That was how good you were.’ The love that comes from such hate defines an actor’s success. It gave me the validation that I did my job well.”

Arjun was recently seen as the antagonist in Blast, which features Arjun, Preity Mukhundhan and Abirami in lead roles. The film is helmed by Subash K Raj.