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Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja (born 28 July 1983), known professionally as Dhanush, is an Indian actor, producer, director, lyricist and
playback singer A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
who predominantly works in
Tamil cinema Tamil cinema, also known as Kollywood is a part of Indian Cinema; primarily engaged in production of motion pictures in the Tamil language. Based out of the Kodambakkam neighbourhood in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it is popularly called ''Kollywood' ...
. Starring in 46 films over his career, among his accolades are four
National Film Awards The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorat ...
(two as actor and two as producer), 14
SIIMA Awards South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...
, nine
Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...
, seven
Filmfare Awards South Filmfare Awards South is the South Indian segment of the annual Filmfare Awards, presented by the Filmfare magazine of The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Indian film industry encompassing ...
, five
Vikatan Awards Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards is an annual awards ceremony for people in the Tamil cinema, Tamil film industry. It is presented by the Tamil language weekly magazine ''Ananda Vikatan, ananda vikatan''. The awards were introduced in the year 20 ...
, five
Edison Awards Edison Awards is an American company that runs an annual competition honoring excellence in innovation in a broad range of categories. Company The Edison Awards were established by the American Marketing Association in 1987 and has been an in ...
and a
Filmfare Award The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
. He has been included in the '' Forbes India'' Celebrity 100 list six times, which is based on the earnings of Indian celebrities. Dhanush's first film was ''
Thulluvadho Ilamai ''Thulluvadho Ilamai'' () is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language teen drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, but Kasthuri Raja is credited for business reasons and the film marks the acting debut of Dhanush, who plays the lead role. The ...
'', a 2002
coming-of-age film Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can ...
directed by his father,
Kasthuri Raja Kasthuri Raja is an Indian film director. He is the father of director Selvaraghavan and actor Dhanush. He worked as an assistant director with Director K.S.G. Most of the films he directed were either village based or infatuation of youngster ...
. He achieved further success in '' Polladhavan'' (2007) and ''
Yaaradi Nee Mohini ''Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Mithran Jawahar. It is a remake of the 2007 Telugu hit Selvaraghavan's ''Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' and stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, ...
'' (2008), both of which were critically acclaimed and commercially successful. His role as a rooster fight jockey in '' Aadukalam'' (2010) won him Best Actor at the 58th National Film Awards and Best Tamil Actor Award at the
60th Filmfare Awards South The 60th Filmfare Awards South ceremony honouring the winners and nominees of the best of South Indian cinema in 2012 is an event that held on 20 July 2013 at the Hyderabad International Convention Center. The Black lady was unveiled by actress ...
. He continued success with films including ''Maryan'' (2013), ''
Velaiilla Pattadhari ''Velaiilla Pattadhari'' (), popularly referred to as ''VIP'', is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Velraj, in his directorial debut. The film stars Dhanush and Amala Paul, while Vivek, Saranya Ponvannan ...
'' (2014), ''
Anegan ''Anegan'' (; ) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language historical fiction, period action film, action romantic thriller, romance thriller film directed by K. V. Anand, and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh, S. Suresh under the banner AGS Ente ...
'' (2015), ''
Kodi KODI (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Cody, Wyoming, United States, the station is currently owned by the Big Horn Radio Network, a division of Legend Communications of Wyoming, LLC, and features programm ...
'' (2016), '' Vadachennai'' (2018), '' Asuran'' (2019), and ''
Thiruchitrambalam ''Thiruchitrambalam'' is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mithran R Jawahar and produced by Kalanidhi Maran, under the banner Sun Pictures. The film stars Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Bharathiraja, ...
'' (2022). ''Vadachennai'' emerged as the highest-grossing A-rated Tamil film of all time, while ''Thiruchitrambalam'' entered the 100 Crore Club within a month of its release and emerged as Dhanush's highest grossing film till date. During the 2010s, Dhanush also starred in the action films '' Maari'' (2015), ''
Maari 2 ''Maari 2'' is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Balaji Mohan. It is a sequel to his 2015 film '' Maari''. Dhanush, besides producing the film under his company Wunderbar Films, also stars as the title c ...
'' (2018), and ''
Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 ''Velaiilla Pattadhari 2'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth. It is a sequel to the 2014 film '' Velaiilla Pattadhari'' and has Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Hrishikesh, Saranya Ponvannan, ...
'' (2017). In 2011, Dhanush's popular song "
Why This Kolaveri Di 'Why This Kolaveri Di' () is a song from the soundtrack of the 2012 Tamil psychological thriller film '' 3'', starring Dhanush and Shruthi Hassan. The song is written and sung by Dhanush, and composed by Anirudh Ravichander. It became one o ...
" from the romantic
psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and c ...
film ''3'' became the first Indian music video to cross 100 million views on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
. He made his
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
debut with
Aanand L. Rai Aanand L. Rai (born 28 June 1971) is a Hindi film director and producer known for romantic-comedy movies ''Tanu Weds Manu'' (2011), ''Raanjhanaa'' (2013), ''Tanu Weds Manu: Returns'' (2015), '' Zero (2018 film), Zero ''(2018), '' Atrangi Re '' ...
's ''
Raanjhanaa ''Raanjhanaa'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma. The film is produced by Krishika Lulla under the banner of Eros International. It stars Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Ab ...
'' (2013). His performance as an obsessive one-sided lover in the film won him the Best Male Debut Award and earned a Best Actor nomination at the 59th Filmfare Awards. Dhanush produces films through his
production company A production company, production house, production studio, or a production team is a studio that creates works in the fields of performing arts, new media art, film, television, radio, comics, interactive arts, video games, websites, music, and ...
,
Wunderbar Films Wunderbar Films is an Indian film production and distribution company established by Actor Dhanush and his wife Aishwarya on 20 May 2010. Based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, it mainly produces and distributes Tamil films, and occasionally Malayalam an ...
, and he made his directorial debut with ''
Pa Paandi ''Pa Paandi'' (also known by its former title ''Power Paandi'') is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film, written and directed by Dhanush in his directorial debut. He also produced the movie under his studio Wunderbar Films. The film re ...
'' (2017). His song "
Rowdy Baby Rowdy Baby is a Tamil language song composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for the soundtrack of the 2018 action comedy film ''Maari 2'' and sung by Dhanush alongside Dhee. The song was officially released on 28 November 2018 as a single from the film. ...
" from ''Maari 2'' became one of the most-viewed Indian songs of all time. It is the only
South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...
n video song to reach 1 billion views on YouTube. Dhanush won his second
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
for ''Asuran'' (2019).


Early and personal life

Dhanush was born as Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja to a Tamil film director and producer,
Kasthuri Raja Kasthuri Raja is an Indian film director. He is the father of director Selvaraghavan and actor Dhanush. He worked as an assistant director with Director K.S.G. Most of the films he directed were either village based or infatuation of youngster ...
, and mother, Vijayalakshmi, in
Madras, Tamil Nadu Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. Initially he wished to go to a school of hotel management and become a chef. However his brother, director
Selvaraghavan Selvaraghavan is an Indian film director, screenwriter and actor who has directed and acted predominantly Tamil films. His directorial debut had with ''Thulluvadho Ilamai'' (2002) but his father is credited for business reasons, which stars his ...
, pressured him to become an actor. Dhanush married
Aishwarya Aishwarya (Devanagari : ''ऐश्वर्य'') is a Hindu Indian or Nepalese male or feminine given name, which means "prosperity" and "wealth". Notable people named Aishwarya * Aishwariyaa Bhaskaran (born 1971), Indian actress * Aishwar ...
, Rajinikanth's eldest daughter on 18 November 2004. They have two sons, Yatra and Linga, who were born in 2006 and 2010 respectively.Dhanush's son named Linga – Tamil Movie News
''indiaglitz.com''. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2013.
The couple announced their separation on 17 January 2022 and reconciled on 6 October 2022 after 9 months of separation . He is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and gave his two sons Shaivite names.


Acting career


2002–2010: Career beginnings

Venkatesh Prabhu adopted the screen name "Dhanush" after being inspired by the fictional covert operation from '' Kuruthipunal'' (1995). He debuted in the 2002 film ''
Thulluvadho Ilamai ''Thulluvadho Ilamai'' () is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language teen drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, but Kasthuri Raja is credited for business reasons and the film marks the acting debut of Dhanush, who plays the lead role. The ...
'', directed by his father Kasthuri Raja, which became a sleeper hit. He then appeared in his brother Selvaraghavan's first directorial venture ''
Kaadhal Kondein ''Kaadhal Kondein'' () is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic psychological thriller film written and directed by Selvaraghavan, starring his brother Dhanush and newcomers Sonia Agarwal and Sudeep Sarangi, while Nagesh and Daniel Balaji pl ...
'' in 2003. The film portrayed Dhanush as a mentally-disturbed youth, Vinodh, who yearned for the love of his friend, eventually turning possessive of her. Upon release, the film won critical acclaim and also became a major commercial success, eventually becoming Dhanush's first major breakthrough in Tamil cinema. His next film was ''
Thiruda Thirudi ''Thiruda Thirudi'' ( ''Male Thief and Female Thief'') is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by debutant Subramaniam Siva. The film stars Dhanush, Chaya Singh, Karunas, Manikka Vinayagam, and Krishna. This f ...
''. In 2004, Dhanush appeared in ''
Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Romance film, romantic adventure film written and directed by S. S. Stanley. The film stars Dhanush and newcomer Aparna Pillai, while Karunas played a supporti ...
'' and '' Sullan''. Later, he also appeared in ''
Dreams A dream is a succession of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that usually occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Humans spend about two hours dreaming per night, and each dream lasts around 5 to 20 minutes, althou ...
'', another film panned by critics. The film was directed by his father, like their previous ventures. In 2005, Dhanush appeared in ''
Devathaiyai Kanden ''Devathaiyai Kanden'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Boopathy Pandian. The film stars Dhanush and Sridevi Vijaykumar. The film borrows its name from a hit song from another Dhanush-starrer ''Kaad ...
'' and in the same year, he also worked on
Balu Mahendra Balanathan Benjamin Mahendran (19 May 1939 13 February 2014), commonly known as Balu Mahendra, was a Sri Lankan-born Indian cinematographer, director, screenwriter and film editor who worked predominantly in Tamil cinema. Widely regarded as ...
's ''
Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam ''Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam'' () is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Balu Mahendra. The film featured Dhanush and Priyamani , while Karunas and Delhi Ganesh played supporting roles. The music for the film was ...
''. In 2006, Dhanush worked under his brother in their gangster film ''
Pudhupettai ''Pudhupettai'' is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. The film stars the director's brother Dhanush in the lead role, while Sonia Agarwal and Sneha play supporting roles. Plot The story is ...
''. The film, about a young man's journey from street urchin to gangster received critical acclaim, with Dhanush's performance receiving especial praise. Dhanush went on to star in the commercial entertainer ''
Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam ''Thiruvilaiyaadal Aarambam'' () is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Boopathy Pandian and produced by Vimala Geetha. Dhanush and Shriya Saran play the lead roles, while Prakash Raj, Karunas and Saranya Ponvannan pla ...
'', romancing
Shriya Saran Shriya Saran Bhatnagar (; born 11 September 1982) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi-language films. Although Saran aspired to become a well-known dancer, she became an actress with her film debut in 2001 ...
. Dhanush's first release of 2007, ''
Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram ''Parattai Engira Azhagu Sundaram'' () is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language crime action film directed by Suresh Krissna. It stars Dhanush, Meera Jasmine and Archana. The film is a remake of 2005 Kannada blockbuster film '' Jogi''. The film revolv ...
'' did not go well. The film was a remake of the successful
Kannada Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
language film '' Jogi''. However, his second film '' Polladhavan'' was released during
Diwali Diwali (), Dewali, Divali, or Deepavali ( IAST: ''dīpāvalī''), also known as the Festival of Lights, related to Jain Diwali, Bandi Chhor Divas, Tihar, Swanti, Sohrai, and Bandna, is a religious celebration in Indian religions. It is ...
2007. ''Polladhavan'' was based on the 1948–
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
neorealist film ''
Bicycle Thieves ''Bicycle Thieves'' ( it, Ladri di biciclette; sometimes known in the United States as ''The Bicycle Thief'') is a 1948 Italian neorealist drama film directed by Vittorio De Sica. It follows the story of a poor father searching in post- World ...
'' and Dhanush's performance was appreciated. The remake of a Telugu film directed by his brother formed the plot line for Dhanush's next movie directed by debutant
Mithran Jawahar Mithran R. Jawahar (born 8 June 1979) is an Indian film director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Career Jawahar, an erstwhile assistant of Selvaraghavan, began working on his first film starring Dhanush in December 2004. A remake of ...
. The movie was titled ''
Yaaradi Nee Mohini ''Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Mithran Jawahar. It is a remake of the 2007 Telugu hit Selvaraghavan's ''Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' and stars Dhanush, Selvaraghavan's brother, ...
''. He later appeared in a cameo appearance, for his father-in-law Rajinikanth's venture ''
Kuselan ''Kuselan'' is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language dramedy film directed by P. Vasu. An official remake of the Malayalam film ''Kadha Parayumbol'' (2007), it was produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages. ''Kusel ...
''. His subsequent venture was Suraj's '' Padikathavan'', which was released in January 2009. His performance was praised and well received. His next two films '' Kutty'' and '' Uthama Puthiran'', were both collaborations with director
Mithran Jawahar Mithran R. Jawahar (born 8 June 1979) is an Indian film director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Career Jawahar, an erstwhile assistant of Selvaraghavan, began working on his first film starring Dhanush in December 2004. A remake of ...
.


2011–2014: Critical success

Dhanush's first release in 2011, which he had shot for over three years, was '' Aadukalam'', marking his second collaboration with
Vetrimaran Vetrimaaran is an Indian film director, screenwriter and film producer, who works in the Tamil film industry. As of 2021, he has won five National Film Awards, eight Ananda Vikatan Cinema Awards, two Filmfare South Awards and the Amnesty In ...
. Dhanush played the role of a local
cockfight A cockfight is a blood sport, held in a ring called a cockpit. The history of raising fowl for fighting goes back 6,000 years. The first documented use of the ''word'' gamecock, denoting use of the cock as to a "game", a sport, pastime or ent ...
er and described the venture as his "Dream Project" during production. The film gained highly positive reviews and won six awards at the 58th National Film Awards, with Dhanush receiving the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
,Bollywood beaten back at National Film Awards – Movies News News – IBNLive
. CNN-IBN.in.com. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
becoming the youngest actor to win the award. Dhanush appeared in an extended guest appearance in Subramania Siva's ''
Seedan ''Seedan'' ( ta, சீடன்) ( en, Disciple) is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language romantic fantasy drama film directed by Subramaniam Siva. The film stars Unni Mukundan and Ananya in the lead, and features Dhanush in an extended cameo appearan ...
''. His next two ventures were the action films, ''Mappillai'', a remake of his father-in-law's same-titled 1989 film and ''
Venghai ''Venghai'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Hari and produced by B. Venkatarama Reddy. The film stars Dhanush and Tamannaah, while Rajkiran, Prakash Raj, and Ganja Karuppu play supporting roles. Th ...
'', by Hari, which received mixed reviews but was a commercial success. Dhanush's next film, ''
Mayakkam Enna ''Mayakkam Enna'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language psychological drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by Gemini Film Circuit in association with Aum Productions Selvaraghavan its own banner. It stars his brother Dhanu ...
'', in which he once again collaborated with his brother, casting him with
Richa Gangopadhyay Richa Gangopadhyay Langella ( Gangopadhyay ; born 20 March 1986) is an Indian-born American former actress and model who predominantly appeared in Telugu language films. She resides at Portland, Oregon. She was cast along with the prominent ...
, received largely positive reviews. His only 2012 release was '' 3'', directed by his wife,
Aishwarya Rajinikanth Aishwarya Rajinikanth (born 1 January 1982) is an Indian film director and playback singer who works in Tamil cinema. She is the elder daughter of actor Rajinikanth and wife of actor Dhanush. She made her feature film directorial debut with '' ...
with co-star
Shruti Haasan Shruti Haasan (born 28 January 1986) is an Indian actress and playback singer who works predominantly in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi films. Born in the Haasan family, she is the daughter of actor-filmmaker Kamal Haasan and actress Sarika Thakur. ...
. The movie was a moderate success, owing to the popularity of the song ''
Why This Kolaveri Di 'Why This Kolaveri Di' () is a song from the soundtrack of the 2012 Tamil psychological thriller film '' 3'', starring Dhanush and Shruthi Hassan. The song is written and sung by Dhanush, and composed by Anirudh Ravichander. It became one o ...
''. The song quickly became viral, the first video from India to gain 100 million YouTube views. In 2013, he appeared in '' Maryan'' opposite Parvathy, which was applauded by critics, but became an above-average grosser at the box office. His next release was ''
Naiyaandi ''Naiyaandi'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film written and directed by A. Sarkunam. The film features Dhanush and Nazriya Nazim in the lead roles. The plot focuses on a love story between a Kuthu Vilakku (lamp) shop owner ...
'', directed by
A. Sarkunam A. Sarkunam is an Indian film director, working in the Tamil film industry. He worked as an associate with director A.L Vijay. Career Sarkunam made his directorial debut with the romantic comedy '' Kalavani'' (2009). Featuring Vimal and Oviy ...
, which did not make any notable impact at the box office. He made his debut in Bollywood with the film ''
Raanjhanaa ''Raanjhanaa'' () is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma. The film is produced by Krishika Lulla under the banner of Eros International. It stars Dhanush, Sonam Kapoor, Ab ...
'', directed by Aanand L.Rai opposite
Sonam Sonam is a given name. It is a Tibetan name meaning "merit" (). Separately, it is also a name in various Indo-Aryan languages (Devanagari script: ). People with this name include: Buddhism * Sönam Choklang, 2nd Panchen Lama (1438–1505) * Son ...
. The film was released on 21 June 2013 with the Tamil dubbed version '' Ambikapathy'' releasing a week later. This film had background score composed by
A. R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967) is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer and songwriter, popular for his works in Indian cinema; predominantly in Tamil and Hindi films, with occasional forays in int ...
and received critical acclaim from critics and audience, and it grossed over 135 crore rupees worldwide. Dhanush's first film of 2014 was ''
Velaiilla Pattadhari ''Velaiilla Pattadhari'' (), popularly referred to as ''VIP'', is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film written and directed by Velraj, in his directorial debut. The film stars Dhanush and Amala Paul, while Vivek, Saranya Ponvannan ...
'', which was also his 25th film and was directed by
Velraj Rajamani Velraj, ISC is an Indian cinematographer, director and writer who primarily works in Tamil and Hindi cinema. He is well known for his camera work in films like Asuran, Aadukalam, Vada Chennai, Kadaikutty Singam and Komban, and for di ...
. It received mostly positive reviews and was a success, being among the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2014. The Telugu dubbed version, ''Raghuvaran B. Tech'', was also a success. His next release was ''
Shamitabh ''Shamitabh'' is a 2015 Indian Hindi-language satirical drama film written and directed by R. Balki. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Dhanush and debutante Akshara Haasan. The film is jointly produced by Sunil Lulla, Balki, Rakesh Jhunjhunwal ...
'', released in year 2015 which was also his second Hindi film directed by
R. Balki R. Balakrishnan, popularly known as R. Balki, (born 16 April 1964) is an Indian filmmaker, screenwriter and former Group Chairman of the advertising agency Lowe Lintas (India). He is best known for directing ''Cheeni Kum'' (2007), '' Paa'' (200 ...
. It opened to very high positive reviews and was praised for the concept, but failed at the box office. His next film ''
Anegan ''Anegan'' (; ) is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language historical fiction, period action film, action romantic thriller, romance thriller film directed by K. V. Anand, and produced by Kalpathi S. Aghoram, S. Ganesh, S. Suresh under the banner AGS Ente ...
'', was a psychological thriller directed by
K. V. Anand Karimanal Venkatesan Anand (30 October 1966 30 April 2021) was an Indian cinematographer, film director and photojournalist, worked mainly in the Tamil film industry. After a short period as a journalist, he became a cinematographer in the e ...
, which generated positive reviews and became a box office success.


2015–present: Experimental projects

Dhanush's next release in 2015 was the action comedy '' Maari'', featuring Kajal Aggarwal,
Robo Shankar Robo Shankar is an Indian standup comedian who has appears in character roles in Tamil films. He made his breakthrough with STAR Vijay's ''Kalakkapovathu Yaaru'', performing standup comedy. He is a now cast as regular on several shows on Sta ...
and
Vijay Yesudas Vijay Yesudas (born 23 March 1979) is an Indian playback singer and actor. He has sung over 1000 film songs. Vijay works predominantly in the South Indian film industry, mostly in Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi. He is the son of ...
. Directed by Balaji Mohan and composed by Anirudh Ravichander, it was released worldwide on 17 July 2015 and received mixed reviews. He also appeared in '' Thanga Magan'', directed by
Velraj Rajamani Velraj, ISC is an Indian cinematographer, director and writer who primarily works in Tamil and Hindi cinema. He is well known for his camera work in films like Asuran, Aadukalam, Vada Chennai, Kadaikutty Singam and Komban, and for di ...
with Samantha Ruth Prabhu,
Amy Jackson Amy Louise Jackson (born 31 January 1992) is a British actress and model known for her work in Indian films, predominantly in Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu languages. A former Miss Teen World, Jackson has appeared in over fifteen films. She made he ...
,
K. S. Ravikumar K. S. Ravikumar (born 30 May 1958) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, primarily working in Tamil films. Career 1990–1997 Ravikumar worked as co-director on R. B. Choudary's production ''Pudhu Vasantham'' direct ...
and
Raadhika Raadhika Sarathkumar is an Indian actress, entrepreneur, producer and politician who works predominantly in Tamil cinema along with Telugu cinema as well as a few Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada films. She is the founder and CP of the Radaan Media ...
. In 2016, Dhanush appeared ''
Thodari ''Thodari'' () is a 2016 Indian Tamil-language action-romance film co produced, written and directed by Prabhu Solomon. It stars Dhanush and Keerthy Suresh, with D. Imman composing the film's music. Set on an express train, ''Thodari'' follows ...
'', which was an action thriller film set on a train and ''
Kodi KODI (1400 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a news/talk format. Licensed to Cody, Wyoming, United States, the station is currently owned by the Big Horn Radio Network, a division of Legend Communications of Wyoming, LLC, and features programm ...
'', a political action thriller. He played a cameo in his directorial debut '' Power Paandi'', which released on 14 April 2017. ''
Velaiilla Pattadhari 2 ''Velaiilla Pattadhari 2'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Soundarya Rajnikanth. It is a sequel to the 2014 film '' Velaiilla Pattadhari'' and has Dhanush, Amala Paul, Vivek, Hrishikesh, Saranya Ponvannan, ...
'', directed by his sister-in-law
Soundarya Rajinikanth Soundarya Rajinikanth (born Shaku Bai Rao Gaikwad; 20 September 1984) is an Indian graphic designer, film producer and director who primarily works in the Tamil film industry. She is the founder and owner of Ocher Picture Productions. Sounda ...
, was his first film of 2017 as a lead actor. He penned the story and dialogues for movie. as well as producing it. It was one of the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2017. His films '' Vadachennai'' and ''
Maari 2 ''Maari 2'' is a 2018 Indian Tamil-language action comedy film written and directed by Balaji Mohan. It is a sequel to his 2015 film '' Maari''. Dhanush, besides producing the film under his company Wunderbar Films, also stars as the title c ...
'', a sequel to ''Maari'', were released in 2018. ''Vadachennai'' was praised by critics and emerged as the highest-grossing A-rated Tamil film of all time, while ''Maari 2'' got mixed reviews. Dhanush's first international film, titled ''
The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir ''The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir'' is a 2018 adventure comedy film directed by Ken Scott and starring Dhanush and Erin Moriarty. It is based on a novel by Romain Puertolas titled ''The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped ...
'', released in 2019 worldwide and was a flop. His main 2019 release, '' Asuran'', was praised by critics for its gritty portrayal of land and caste violence and became a box office success, entering the 100 Crore Club for grossing ₹100 crore within a month of its release. His next release, a romantic thriller titled ''
Enai Noki Paayum Thota ''Enai Noki Paayum Thota'' () is a 2019 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written, directed and co-produced by Gautham Vasudev Menon. The film features Dhanush, Megha Akash, Sasikumar and Sunaina. The film began production in Marc ...
'' was released on 29 November 2019 after several delays due to financial problems and it received mixed reviews. Dhanush's first 2020 release, on Pongal, was the martial arts action film ''
Pattas ''Pattas'' () is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language martial arts film written and directed by R. S. Durai Senthilkumar and produced by Sathya Jyothi Films. It stars Dhanush in dual role with Sneha, Mehreen Pirzada, and Naveen Chandra while Nassar, ...
'', directed by
R. S. Durai Senthilkumar R. S. Durai Senthilkumar is an Indian film director, writer and lyricist, who is currently working in the Tamil film industry. Career Senthilkumar worked as an assistant director to Vetrimaaran, before making his directorial debut with ''Ethi ...
, in which he played a double role. The film received positive reviews. Dhanush joined the ensemble cast of Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and
Ana de Armas Ana Celia de Armas Caso (; born 30 April 1988) is a Cuban and Spanish actress. She began her career in Cuba and had a leading role in the romantic drama '' Una rosa de Francia'' (2006). At age 18, she moved to Madrid, Spain, and starred in t ...
in
Russo brothers Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970) and Joseph Russo (born July 18, 1971), collectively known as the Russo brothers (), are American directors, producers, and screenwriters. They direct most of their work together. They are best known for dir ...
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
produced film ''
The Gray Man Grey man, The Gray Man or The Grey Man may refer to: Concepts * Grey man theory, a concept in everyday carry that one should blend in with the environment so as not to raise suspicion People * The primary nickname of American serial killer A ...
''. Dhanush's first 2021 role was his starring role in '' Karnan'', directed by
Mari Selvaraj Mari Selvaraj is an Indian film director and author who works in the Tamil film industry. He worked as an Assistant Director for director Ram, He made his directorial debut with ''Pariyerum Perumal'', which opened to positive reviews and receiv ...
, and featuring
Lal Lal ( fa, لعل, hi, लाल, bn, লাল, ur, لال, ps, Lāl) is an Indo-Iranian surname and given name, which means "darling", "precious", or "beloved", from the Sanskrit ''lala'' ("cajoling").''Dictionary of American Family Names''F ...
,
Natarajan Subramaniam Natarajan Subramanian, better known as Natty, is an Indian cinematographer who has worked on Tamil films. He has also worked as an actor in Tamil films and achieved recognition through his performance as a conman in '' Sathuranga Vettai'' (201 ...
,
Yogi Babu Yogi Babu (born 22 July 1985) is an Indian actor and comedian, who appears in Tamil films. A three time Ananda Vikatan Cinema Award winner, he performed in '' Aandavan Kattalai'' (2016), ''Kolamavu Kokila'' (2018) and '' Pariyerum Perumal'' (2 ...
,
Rajisha Vijayan Rajisha Vijayan is an Indian actress, who primarily appears in Malayalam films, in addition to a few Tamil films. She hosted several television shows in Malayalam before making her acting debut in the 2016 film '' Anuraga Karikkin Vellam,'' f ...
, Gouri Kishan,
Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli is a National award winning Indian actress who predominantly works in Tamil and Malayalam films. A post graduate in human resource management from Madras School of Social Work, she joined the English theatre company ...
alongside him. The film released on 9 April, to critical acclaim. His next project was the black comedy gangster film, ''
Jagame Thandhiram ''Jagame Thandhiram'' () is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Karthik Subbaraj and produced by YNOT Studios and Reliance Entertainment. The film stars Dhanush, James Cosmo, Joju George, Aishwarya Lekshmi ...
'', written and directed by
Karthik Subbaraj Karthik Subbaraj is an Indian film director, writer and producer working mainly in Tamil cinema. Life and career Karthik did his schooling in SBOA Matriculation and Higher Secondary School, Madurai after which he went on to study Mechatron ...
, which released on 18 June 2021. It also featured
Joju George Joseph George, better known as Joju George (born 22 October 1977) is an Indian actor, playback singer and producer who works mainly in Malayalam cinema. He has acted in Malayalam films and worked on Tamil projects as well. In 2015, he won the ...
(in his Tamil debut),
Aishwarya Lekshmi Aishwarya Lekshmi (born 6 September 1990) is an Indian actress and producer who predominantly works in Malayalam and Tamil films. She won several accolades including One Filmfare Award South and 3 SIIMA Awards. She made her acting debut with 2 ...
(in her Tamil debut), and
James Cosmo James Ronald Gordon Copeland , known professionally as James Cosmo (b. 1947), is a Scottish film and television actor known for his appearances in films including ''Highlander'', ''Braveheart'', '' Trainspotting'', ''Jagame Thandhiram'', ''Tro ...
. It received mixed to positive reviews from critics. He also starred in Aanand L. Rai's August 2021 film ''
Atrangi Re ''Atrangi Re'' () is a 2021 Indian Hindi-language romantic fantasy comedy drama film directed by Aanand L. Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma. Produced by T-Series Films, Colour Yellow Productions and Cape of Good Films, the film stars Dhan ...
'', co-starring
Akshay Kumar Rajiv Hari Om Bhatia (born 9 September 1967), known professionally as Akshay Kumar (), is an Indian-born naturalised Canadian Quote: "(Former prime minister Stephen) Harper campaigned in 2011 alongside one of Modi's biggest celebrity backer ...
and Sara Ali Khan. Dhanush is reported to be playing an important character in the Vijay starrer ''Thalapathy 67''. In 2022, Dhanush starred in ''
Thiruchitrambalam ''Thiruchitrambalam'' is a 2022 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mithran R Jawahar and produced by Kalanidhi Maran, under the banner Sun Pictures. The film stars Dhanush, Nithya Menen, Bharathiraja, ...
'', directed by
Mithran Jawahar Mithran R. Jawahar (born 8 June 1979) is an Indian film director who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. Career Jawahar, an erstwhile assistant of Selvaraghavan, began working on his first film starring Dhanush in December 2004. A remake of ...
, and featuring
Nithya Menen Nithya Menen (born 8 April 1988) is an Indian actress and singer who has acted in more than 50 feature films and in six different languages: Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, English, and Telugu.In her acting career, Nithya has won three Film ...
,
Priya Bhavani Shankar Sathyapriya Bhavani Shankar (born 31 December 1989) known by her stage name Priya Bhavani, is an Indian actress and television presenter who primarily appears in Tamil and Telugu launguage films.She made her acting debut with commercially suc ...
, Rashi Kanna,
Bharathiraja Bharathiraja (born 17 July 1941) is an Indian film director and actor who works mainly in the Tamil film industry. Making his debut in 1977 with ''16 Vayathinile'', he is known for realistic and sensitive portrayals of rural life in his films. ...
, Prakash Raj,
Munishkanth Ramdoss, better known as Munishkanth, is an Indian actor who appears in Tamil language films. He had notable roles in films, including '' Mundasupatti'' (2014), '' Maanagaram'' (2017), ''Maragadha Naanayam'' (2017) and ''Raatchasan'' (2018). ...
, all alongside Dhanush. The film released on 18 August, 2022, in theatres. It went to become the highest-grossing film in his career.


Music

Dhanush is a singer, generally for his own films. He was introduced as a playback singer in ''
Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan ''Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan'' () is a 2004 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language Romance film, romantic adventure film written and directed by S. S. Stanley. The film stars Dhanush and newcomer Aparna Pillai, while Karunas played a supporti ...
'', by its composer
Yuvan Shankar Raja Yuvan Shankar Raja or Abdul Haliq (born 31 August 1979) is an Indian film score and soundtrack composer and singer-songwriter. He mainly scores music for Tamil films. Considered a versatile composer, he is particularly known for his use of Wes ...
and collaborated again with him in his brother Selvaraghavan's directorial, ''
Pudhupettai ''Pudhupettai'' is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Selvaraghavan. The film stars the director's brother Dhanush in the lead role, while Sonia Agarwal and Sneha play supporting roles. Plot The story is ...
''. He sang further numbers in Selvaraghavan's films '' Aayirathil Oruvan'' and ''
Mayakkam Enna ''Mayakkam Enna'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language psychological drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan and produced by Gemini Film Circuit in association with Aum Productions Selvaraghavan its own banner. It stars his brother Dhanu ...
''; the former featured him alongside his wife Aishwarya Rajinikanth. "
Why This Kolaveri Di 'Why This Kolaveri Di' () is a song from the soundtrack of the 2012 Tamil psychological thriller film '' 3'', starring Dhanush and Shruthi Hassan. The song is written and sung by Dhanush, and composed by Anirudh Ravichander. It became one o ...
" was released on
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
in 2011 as part of the soundtrack to the film 3, the directorial debut of Aishwarya Dhanush. The song became the most searched video in India. Anirudh Ravichander was the soundtrack composer for the film and Dhanush wrote much of the lyrics. He has also sung "No Problem" in the Kannada movie ''
Vajrakaya ''Vajrakaya'' is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language action film directed by Harsha. It stars Shiva Rajkumar, Nabha Natesh and Karunya Ram in the lead roles, with Avinash, Ravi Kale and Suman as supporting cast. Plot Viraj is an adopted child, wh ...
'' and "Thikka" in the Telugu movie ''
Thikka ''Thikka'' () is 2016 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film produced by Dr. Rohin Reddy on Sri Venkateswara Movie Makers banner and directed by Sunil Reddy. Starring Sai Dharam Tej, Larissa Bonesi and Mannara Chopra, with Rajendra Prasad, ...
''. Dhanush has sung for the debutant musician Ganesh Chandrasekaran in the film '' Ezhumin''. The song was received well among the audience as he famously renders it emotionally.


Discography


Lyrics


Other work

Dhanush worked with WWF India to support Earth Hour 2012. In August 2013, Dhanush was signed by Perfetti India Ltd. as their brand ambassador for Center Fresh chewing gum. He has made his directorial debut with the movie ''
Pa Paandi ''Pa Paandi'' (also known by its former title ''Power Paandi'') is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film, written and directed by Dhanush in his directorial debut. He also produced the movie under his studio Wunderbar Films. The film re ...
''.


Accolades

Dhanush has won and received several nominations at the
National Film Award The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directora ...
,
Filmfare Awards The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Hindi-language film industry of India.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were first introduced by th ...
and
Vijay Awards The Vijay Awards are presented by the Tamil television channel STAR Vijay to honour excellence in Tamil cinema. It has been given annually since 2006, with the latest—the 10th edition—of the award-giving ceremony having been held in ...
ceremony. He won the
National Film Award for Best Actor The National Film Award for Best Actor, officially known as the Rajat Kamal Award for the Best Actor (), is an honour presented annually at the National Film Awards of India instituted since 1967 to actors who have delivered the best performanc ...
, twice, in 2011 and 2021, for his films with Vetrimaaran, '' Aadukalam'' and '' Asuran''.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dhanush Living people Tamil male actors Tamil playback singers Best Actor National Film Award winners Male actors in Hindi cinema Singers from Chennai 21st-century Indian male actors Filmfare Awards South winners Indian male playback singers Male actors from Chennai South Indian International Movie Awards winners Zee Cine Awards winners International Indian Film Academy Awards winners Filmfare Awards winners Tamil film poets 1983 births