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Dhanush born Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja in Chennai on July 28 1983 belongs to a noted film family—his father Kasthuri Raja and brother Selvaraghavan are both established directors. But despite his lineage Dhanush had no love for acting. As a child he was drawn to the kitchen not the camera. He dreamed of becoming a chef and even rebelled when his family decided to send him to acting school. What did he do to avoid acting? Dhanush went to extremes; he stopped eating hoping his family would change their minds. When excuses didn’t work he turned to fasting and prayer. But fate had other plans. Reluctantly he stepped into the world of films and in time found his rhythm and passion. How did he make his mark in cinema? He debuted in 2002 with Thulluvadho Ilamai directed by his father. Recognition came in 2006 with Pudhupettai helmed by his brother where he played a gangster. But it was Aadukalam in 2011 that earned him national acclaim and his first National Film Award for Best Actor. In 2011 he casually recorded a song titled Why This Kolaveri Di. Written in 6 minutes and recorded in 35 it became India’s first YouTube hit crossing 100 million views and turning Dhanush into a viral sensation. Bollywood and beyond Absolutely. Dhanush’s Bollywood debut came with Raanjhanaa (2013) where he played a small-town boy from Banaras and left a lasting impression. He went on to star in Shamitabh alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Atrangi Re with Sara Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar. His Tamil hits include Maari Kodi Asuran and Karnan the first and last of which also won him National Awards. Dhanushs Hollywood debut In 2022 Dhanush appeared in The Gray Man sharing screen space with global names like Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans. With that he joined the rare league of Indian actors making an international mark.