Dhanush is a slight man, and unburdened by the mandatory glorificatory prefix to his name. In the Tamil film industry, Vijay is Thalapathy (The Commander); Ajith, Thala (The Headman); Kamal Haasan, Ulaganayagan (The Global Hero); and of course the ‘Superstar’ is Rajinikanth. The absence of any such billing perhaps gives Dhanush the velocity required to escape the image trap and take up international projects such as The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (TEJF).
Based on French novelist Romain Puertolas’ bestseller The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe , and directed by Ken Scott, a Canadian filmmaker, the English-French language production releases in India and other key markets such as the U.S. and the U.K. this Friday. Since its France release last year, it has even won a couple of awards in the international festival circuit.
By any measure, Dhanush’s commercial cachet isn’t anywhere close to that of Tamil A-listers such as Vijay or Ajith. Since his 2002 debut as a gawky teenager in Thulluvadho Ilamai , a coming-of-age film directed by his father Kasthuri Raja, Dhanush has starred in about 40 films. That’s substantially more than Ajith (25) and Vijay (34) during the same period. Dhanush’s lower pay packet may have helped him to be as prolific. The larger number of films also seems to have allowed him to take greater risks in terms of the roles he takes up. His reed-thin, gangly physique, dark skin and Everyman looks pretty much rule out syrupy romance or all-out action. Having seen him as Venkatesh Prabhu (his given name), and grown up in the same Chennai neighbourhood, with my kid brother even attending the same after-school tuition classes as him, the on-screen Dhanush seemed scarcely different.
Dhanush in a still from ‘Aadukalam’.
His second film, Kaadhal Kondein (2003), a psychological thriller directed by his elder brother, offered firmer evidence of his acting chops. Then followed a series of what in Bollywood was once classified as “tapori” films; Dhanush as a happy-go-lucky wastrel who is often unworthy of the heroine’s instant romantic reciprocity or the respect of his family members, but with unending reserves of smarts and a heart of gold, somehow manages to win both in life and love. While he did occasionally thulp the villains Bruce Lee-like, brains had to rule over brawn in any script for Dhanush movies. Of course, there were some exceptions. Despite managing to earn a college degree in some films, a street-smart underdog is what he remained.
Dhanush is perhaps the only mainstream Tamil hero in recent memory never to have played the role of a policeman or an Army man. A hero’s perceived unsuitability for such roles can be quite liberating, especially in the boxed-in Tamil industry.
A few films after his debut came the opportunity to work with acclaimed director Balu Mahendra in Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam . By 2005, Mahendra wasn’t quite the creative powerhouse he used to be, but being handpicked by him burnished Dhanush’s credentials as a serious actor. Though the film bombed, it paved the way for a profitable partnership with Vetrimaaran, a longtime protégé of Mahendra. The 2011 film Aadukalam , directed by Vetrimaaran , starring Dhanush as a cockfighting trainer, won six national awards, including best actor.
The two have collaborated frequently, even as producers for films such as the acclaimed Kaaka Muttai (2015). In 2018, Vada Chennai , a gangster thriller, with the Dhanush-Vetrimaaran duo, again struck gold. The partnership with Vetrimaaran helped break the stereotype of Dhanush in flare-bottom acid wash jeans or ill-fitting suits (when he made it big against all odds).
Measured forays into Bollywood, that none of his contemporaries in the Tamil industry had an appetite for, followed the success of Aadukalam . Leaving the home turf is still a punt too big for most big heroes in Tamil. Raanjhanaa (2013) was moderately successful but the positive reviews proved that Dhanush could do the heavy lifting even in a Hindi film.
A still from ‘Vada Chennai’.
R. Balki’s Shamitabh (2015) was a box office dud but remains, in the opinion of this writer, one of his better performances. Loosely based on the real story of actor ‘Silver Jubilee’ Mohan and his on-screen voice, that of singer S.N. Surendhar, that Tamil film fans are well acquainted with, Dhanush playing a mute actor not only managed to hold a candle to co-star Amitabh Bachchan, about 40 years his senior, but in many scenes was so incandescent as to pretty much steal the show.
For a boy who once aspired to be a chef, Dhanush hasn’t done too badly with a career in cinema. When not acting, Dhanush tries his hand at making short films, living up to the maxim that the best way to learn filmmaking is by making a film. In 2017, he turned director with another critically acclaimed film, Pa Pandi . His attempts at singing and lyric writing — the viral YouTube sensation ‘Kolaveri Di’ in 2012 notwithstanding — haven’t been as convincing. But then, Dhanush is only 36.
TEJF may not quite be the film that earns him an honorific in the Tamil film industry. However, it could well be the fuel that powers his immense talents on an extraordinary journey, both within Tamil Nadu and outside.
The Bengaluru-based writer is translator, classical music addict and fountain pen freak.
