 Kadhir was impressed with Abbas' performance and invited him to a screen test for "Kadhal Desam" (1996), before eventually signing him on to play a leading role.Unfamiliar with the Tamil language, Abbas memorised his lines on the set of the film and Kadhir began the shoot with easier portions, in order to ease Abbas into his role.Featuring alongside Vineeth and Tabu, "Kadhal Desam" became a critical and commercial success and Abbas was dubbed by the media as a "heart-throb" and garnered several more acting offers.