A multifaceted Indian artist, Dhanush, is best known for his work in the Tamil film industry. He is not only an actor, but also a producer, director, writer, lyricist, screenwriter, and playback singer who has bagged three National Film Awards and seven Filmfare Awards. He was shot to international fame with the popular song “Why this Kolaveri Di” and has since he has starred in many box office hits. He is one of the few South Indian actors to have worked in different Indian language films including his straight English flick The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir.
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Dhanush Biography
Dhanush was born on the 28th of July 1983, in Theni, Tamil Nadu, India. He’s currently 39 years old.
| Birth Name | Venkatesh Prabhu Kasturi Raja |
| Nickname | Dhanush |
| Date of Birth | July 28, 1983 |
| Place of Birth | Theni, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Age | 39 years old |
| Sun Sign | Leo |
| Profession | Actor, Producer, Director, Writer, Lyricist, Screenwriter, Playback Singer |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Ethnicity | Indian (Tamil) |
| Residence | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Religion | Hinduism |
Family
- Father – Kasthuri Raja (Film Director)
- Mother – Vijayalakshmi
- Siblings – Selvaraghavan (Film Director) (Older Brother) Vimala Geetha (Sister), Karthika Devi (Sister)
- Relatives – Rajinikanth (Actor) (Father-in-Law) Anirudh Ravichander (Musician) (Cousin) Soundarya Rajinikanth (Filmmaker) (Sister-In-Law) Hrishikesh (cousin)
Education
Dhanush attended Thai Sathiya Matriculation High School, Saligramam, and sifted to St. John’s Matriculation Higher Secondary School Alwarthirunagar for high school. He later transferred to to JRK Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Vadapalani, Chennai for 12th State Board Exams.
Dhanush Wife
Dhanush married Aishwarya, eldest daughter of Rajinikanth, on 18 November 2004. His wife is two years older than him. They have two sons named Yatra, born in 2006, and Linga, born in 2010. The couple parted ways in January 2022.
Physical Statistics
| Height | Feet – 5 feet 9 inches Centimeters – 175 cm Meters – 1.75 m |
| Weight | Kilograms – 70 kg Pounds – 154 lbs |
| Body Build | Athletic |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Shoe Size | Unknown |
Professional Statistics
Film Debut
Dhanush made his onscreen acting debut in his father Kasthuri Raja’s teen coming-of-age film, Thulluvadho Ilamai in 2002.
He debuted in Hindi with the 2013 film Raanjhanaa alongside Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor. His role earned him a Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut and was nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
In 2017, he turned director with the film Pa Paandi which had Raajkiran in the lead role. He also played the role of young Paandi in the film.
Apart from Indian language films, Dhanush starred in an English – French bilingual film titled The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir, directed by Ken Scott.
As a producer, he has bankrolled a handful of movies under his production banner, Wunderbar Films.
Singing Debut
As a playback singer, Dhanush first lent his voice for the song “Naatu Sarakku” in the film Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan under Yuvan Shankar Raja music. He has since sung numerous songs mostly in his own movies.
Television Debut
He hasn’t appeared in any TV series other than promotional talk shows.
Famous For
Known for his roles in films like Kadhal Kondein, Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Aadukalam, 3, and Velaiilla Pattadhari.
His popular number “Why This Kolaveri Di” was the first Indian music video to surpass 100 million views on YouTube.
Brand Endorsements
In August 2013, he was made the brand ambassador for Perfetti India’s Center Fresh.
Favorite Things
- Food – South Indian Food
- Actor – Rajinikanth, Mohanlal, Amitabh Bachchan, Al Pacino
- Actress – Kajol, Kareena Kapoor
- Musician – Ilayaraja
- Color – Black
- Sport – Snooker, Tennis
Dhanush Net Worth
Dhanush has an estimated net worth of $20 million US dollars as of 2024. He lives in a luxurious house located in T. Nagar, Chennai. He has a large fleet of exotic cars from luxury carmakers including Audi A8, Jaguar XE, Bently Continental Flying Spur, Rolls Royce Ghost Series II, and Harley Davidson superbike.
Social Media Profiles
- Facebook – DhanushKRaja
- Twitter – dhanushkraja
Dhanush Facts
Growing up, he wanted to become a Marine engineer, but it was his brother Selvaraghavan who insisted him to do films and thus he landed a lead role in his father’s film Thulluvadho Ilamai.
Not many know that he is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and thus he named his sons after his names – Yatra and Linga.
Dhanush won his first National Film Award for Best Actor at the 58th National Film Awards for his performance in the film Aadukalam, directed by Vetri Maran.
He has won three National Film Awards for his films Aadukalam (Actor), Kakka Muttai (Producer) and Visaranai (Producer).
As popular as he is, the actor has been linked with several controversies. During the filming of 3, he and his co-star Shruti Haasan have been romantically linked together and there were rumors of them living together at that time, but his wife denied all related rumors.
In 2016, Kathiresan and Meenamal, an old couple from Thiruppuvanam, claimed that they are the real parents of Dhanush and filed a petition with the police and court seeking the authorities to get back their son. After a series of arguments and cross-verification with the evidence and DNA tests, the court found that there was no truth to the couple’s claim.
With a career spanning more than 15 years, Dhanush has been unstoppable and has several feats in his cap and his truly amazing talents gave him entry into Hollywood.