Happy Birthday Dhanush: The reluctant actor who went on to become Tamil cinema’s de facto international star

However, the same Raanjhanaa paved the way for the actor to enter the international arena. While both Raanjhanaa and his other Hindi film Shamitabh didn’t have many takers in Tamil, they turned a lot of heads in North India, which eventually made him reach the international market. That’s why when Dhanush’s first international project The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir was announced. Based on the novel The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir Who Got Trapped in an Ikea Wardrobe by Romain Puertolas, the film had Dhanush as an Indian man who struggles as an immigrant in foreign countries. Though the film was not much-spoken-about and was not marketed well in India, Dhanush has set up a good resume with the project. A resume that would make Russo Brothers come knocking at his door.

Dhanush is not the first actor from Tamil to venture into Hollywood. His former father-in-law Rajinikanth acted in the Hollywood movie Bloodstone, which was released in 1988. However, the film, which is referred to as a B-movie, only had a little scope for the Indian star. The film is not considered to be an achievement of sorts in the actor’s career. Other than the superstar, other Tamil actors like Napoleon or Pooja Kumar did only blink-and-you–miss-it roles in Hollywood, which makes Dhanush the only proper international star in Tamil.

What’s impressive about Dhanush is his refusal to make his international films his calling cards. After being part of a big-budget film like The Gray Man, Dhanush chooses to make films like Vaathi and Thiruchitrambalam, which are rooted and small in scale. Perhaps, the awareness has made the actor succeed against all ‘little things’.

Back in 2004, Dhanush acted in a Tamil masala film titled Sullan, which was heavily panned. The punchline from the film ‘Sullan sudaanaen sulukeduthuruvaen’ became a standing joke. The popular Tamil spoof show Lollu Sabha had a field day with the film. If someone had said Dhanush will go on to act in Hollywood movies and that an American star would call him ‘dear Tamil friend’, they would have faced the same fate as Sullan. But here he is making a mark in both Bollywood and Hollywood. Dhanush will return as Avik San in the sequel of The Gray Man. In Bollywood, he is again teaming up with Aanand L Rai for Tere Ishk Mein.