Meet actor who wanted to be chef, created a song in 6 minutes, earned stripes in Hollywood and will play notable politician next

Meet the actor who is one of the highest-paid stars of Kollywood and has been a recipient of four National Awards. Beyond his screen presence as a hero, he is also known for his contributions to music equally, and has taken on some of the most versatile roles throughout his career of five decades. 

Can you guess who we are talking about? Yes, it's Dhanush.

Who is Dhanush?

Born in July 1983, Dhanush hails from a family deeply rooted in the film industry. His father, Kasthuri Raja, has been a renowned film director and producer in Tamil cinema. On the other hand, his elder brother, Selvaraghavan, is also a notable filmmaker. The actor’s mother, Vijayalakshmi, is a homemaker. 

Dhanush hails from Madras, Tamil Nadu, and has two sisters, Vimalageetha and Karthiga Karthik, who are younger than him. The actor and his family prefer to keep their lives low-key and are not often spotted out and about.

Dhanush wanted to become a chef but was pressured to do films

Despite coming from a film background, movies were never the first calling for Dhanush. In fact, he wished to take up a course in hotel management and become a chef. However, his plans never materialized, and it was his brother Selvaraghavan who pressured him to take up acting as a profession. 

Foray into films, successes and beyond

Right before stepping into films, the actor changed his name from Venkatesh Prabhu to Dhanush, inspired by the fictional covert operation mentioned in the movie Kuruthipunal.

Dhanush’s debut came in 2002 with the teen film Thulluvadho Ilamai, directed by his father, Kasthuri Raja himself. Although this was not a success, he then rose to prominence with his brother's film, Kaadhal Kondein, directed by Selvaraghavan in 2003, for which he received critical acclaim and won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor that year.

With this, he continued to appear in several films, led by either his father, Kasthuri Raja, or his brother, Selvaraghavan, as director. 

Dhanush’s sprinting acclaim with the song Kolaveri Di

The year 2012 brought a complete turnover for Dhanush with the release of his film 3. Starring Shruti Haasan as the female lead, it was the track Kolaveri Di sung by the former that made his popularity reach far and wide.

For the untold, the viral track was composed within a remarkably short time of 6 minutes, and it was sung and wrapped up entirely in just 20 minutes of brainstorming between him and the composer, Anirudh Ravichander. 

Rise to stardom with Bollywood debut, earned stripes in Hollywood

Subsequently, Dhanush forayed into Hindi cinema with Aanand L. Rai’s Raanjhanaa, co-starring Sonam Kapoor. The film was a raging success and became the highest-grossing film of that year.

Thereafter, in 2022, Dhanush grabbed global notice after he was roped in for the American action thriller film The Gray Man, marking his Hollywood debut.

Dhanush’s personal life, marriage to Rajinikanth’s daughter Aishwaryaa

Regarding his personal life, Dhanush married Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s elder daughter, Aishwaryaa, in 2004. The duo are parents to their sons Yatra and Linga.

After 18 years of marital bliss, the couple announced their separation in 2022. They were formally divorced in November 2024. However, Dhanush and Aishwaryaa continue to co-parent their sons together.

Dhanush’s work front ahead

Dhanush can be summed up as one of the most versatile artists who has paved his way not just as an actor but also as a filmmaker, producer, and composer. He has four directorial ventures to his name to date, one of which is Idly Kadai, an upcoming project of his releasing this year.

Additionally, he is set to portray the biopic of the Missile Man of India, APJ Abdul Kalam, in a movie directed by Om Raut. In fact, Dhanush was also announced to be reprising the role of legendary music composer Ilaiyarajaa on-screen in a biopic.

He was last seen in Sekhar Kammula’s Kuberaa which released on June 20. Dhanush also recently completed shooting for his next Hindi film, Tere Ishk Mein. 

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