Biography
Who is Dhanush?
Early life and real name
Dhanush was born as Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja on February 25, 1983, in Chennai, India. His father is the Tamil film director and producer Kasthuri Raja, and his mother is Vijayalakshmi. He grew up with a brother named K. Selvaraghavan and sisters named Vimalageetha and Karthiga Karthik. Initially, he wanted to study hotel management and become a chef. However, his elder brother pressured him to pursue acting instead, changing the course of his professional life.
He attended St. John's Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Alwarthirunagar. He adopted his stage name after being inspired by a fictional covert operation from a film. Despite initial hesitation about acting, he started taking the craft seriously after working with filmmaker Balu Mahendra on the production Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam.
How Dhanush became famous
Dhanush made his acting debut in the 2002 coming-of-age film Thulluvadho Ilamai, which was directed by his father. His breakthrough came when he starred in his brother's directorial venture Kaadhal Kondein in 2003, playing a mentally disturbed youth who turns possessive of his friend. The film received critical acclaim and became a major commercial success, earning him his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Actor in Tamil.
He continued building his career through commercial and critical successes like Polladhavan in 2007 and Yaaradi Nee Mohini in 2008. His role as a rooster fight jockey in the 2010 film Aadukalam brought him widespread recognition, winning him the National Film Award for Best Actor and a Filmfare Award. This established him as a bankable star and a leading performer in Tamil cinema.
Career highlights and music
In 2011, Dhanush starred in Aadukalam, which swept multiple awards at the National Film Awards. He expanded his reach by making his Hindi film debut in Aanand L. Rai's Raanjhanaa in 2013, winning the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. Over his career, he has starred in fifty films, including Asuran in 2019, which won him his second National Film Award for Best Actor, and Raayan in 2024, which became his highest-grossing release.
As a playback singer, Dhanush achieved international recognition in 2011 with the song Why This Kolaveri Di from the film 3. It became the first Indian music video to cross one hundred million views on YouTube. He also sang Rowdy Baby from Maari 2, which became the first South Indian video song to reach one billion views on YouTube. He produces films through his company, Wunderbar Films, and directed Pa. Pandi in 2017.
Family and relationships
Dhanush was previously married to Aishwarya R. Dhanush. They have two children together named Yathra and Linga Dhanush. His father-in-law is the prominent actor Rajinikanth, with whom Dhanush has shared professional connections through cameo appearances and family ties. His brother K. Selvaraghavan is a well-known film director who directed several of his early projects.
Birthday and age
Dhanush was born on February 25, 1983, which makes Dhanush 43 years old today. That birthday falls under the Pisces sign. Dhanush shares the date with 32 other famous people.
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