31 Facts About Dhanush

Dhanush achieved further success in Polladhavan and Yaaradi Nee Mohini, both of which were critically acclaimed and commercially successful.

Dhanush continued success with films, including Maryan, Velaiilla Pattadhari, Anegan, Maari, Kodi, Vada Chennai, Asuran, Thiruchitrambalam, Vaathi and Raayan, the lattermost of which emerged as his highest-grossing release.

Dhanush made his Hindi film debut with Aanand L Rai's Raanjhanaa.

Dhanush produces films through his production company, Wunderbar Films, and made his directorial debut with Pa Paandi.

Dhanush won his second National Film Award for Best Actor for Asuran.

Dhanush was born as Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja on 28 July 1983 to Tamil film director and producer, Kasthuri Raja, and his wife, Vijayalakshmi, in Madras, Tamil Nadu.

Venkatesh Prabhu adopted the screen name "Dhanush" after being inspired by the fictional covert operation from Kuruthipunal.

Dhanush debuted in the 2002 teen drama film Thulluvadho Ilamai, directed by his father Kasthuri Raja, which became a sleeper hit.

Dhanush then appeared in his brother Selvaraghavan's first directorial venture, the romantic psychological thriller Kaadhal Kondein in 2003.

In 2005, Dhanush appeared in Devathaiyai Kanden and in the same year, he worked on Balu Mahendra's Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam.

Dhanush later appeared in a cameo appearance, for his father-in-law Rajinikanth's venture Kuselan.

Dhanush played the role of a local cockfighter and described the venture as his "dream project" during production.

The film gained widespread critical acclaim and won six awards at the 58th National Film Awards, with Dhanush receiving the National Film Award for Best Actor, becoming the youngest actor to win the award.

Dhanush appeared in an extended guest appearance in Subramania Siva's Seedan.

Dhanush's next two ventures were the action films, Mappillai, a remake of his father-in-law's same-titled 1989 film and Venghai, by Hari, which received mixed reviews but was a commercial success.

Dhanush played a cameo in his directorial debut Power Paandi, which released on 14 April 2017.

Dhanush penned the story and dialogues for the movie as well as producing it.

Dhanush's first international film, titled The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, released in 2019 worldwide and was a commercial failure.

Dhanush joined the ensemble cast of Chris Evans, Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas in Russo brothers Netflix produced film The Gray Man.

Dhanush starred in Aanand L Rai's August 2021 Hindi-language film Atrangi Re, co-starring Akshay Kumar and Sara Ali Khan.

In 2022, Dhanush starred in Thiruchitrambalam, directed by Mithran Jawahar, and featuring Nithya Menen, Priya Bhavani Shankar, Rashi Kanna, Bharathiraja, Prakash Raj, Munishkanth, all alongside Dhanush.

Dhanush is set to appear in Aanand L Rai film Tere Ishk Mein.

Dhanush married Aishwarya, actor Rajinikanth's elder daughter on 18 November 2004.

Dhanush is an ardent devotee of the Hindu god Shiva and has given his two sons Shaivite names.

Dhanush was introduced as a playback singer in Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan, by its composer Yuvan Shankar Raja and collaborated again with him in his brother Selvaraghavan's directorial, Pudhupettai.

Anirudh Ravichander was the soundtrack composer for the film and Dhanush wrote much of the lyrics.

Dhanush worked with WWF India to support Earth Hour in 2012.

Nayanthara insisted that Dhanush had sent her a legal notice asking for a compensation of 10 crores for a 3-second video that was used in the Netflix documentary film Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale which were deemed as the behind-the-scenes recordings from the movie sets of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.

Dhanush revealed that the filmmakers had apparently re-edited and trimmed the documentary while removing the 3-second video sequence which had been shot from the shooting spots of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan as Dhanush did not grant permission for the usage of songs or visual cuts which featured in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.

Dhanush has won and received several nominations at the National Film Award, Filmfare Awards and Vijay Awards ceremony.

Dhanush won the National Film Award for Best Actor, twice, in 2011 and 2021, for his films with Vetrimaaran, Aadukalam and Asuran.