Dhanush's birthday: Know these lesser-known facts about the actor
Not only is Dhanush an actor, a producer, director, lyricist, and playback singer well-known in Kollywood and Bollywood, but he is also a global sensation after he recently made his international debut. He appeared in The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. Dhanush turned 40 on Friday (July 28). On his birthday, check these lesser-known facts about the actor.
Dhanush's real name
Born to Tamil film director and producer Kasthuri Raja, the actor's real name is Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja. When Dhanush made his debut as a teen back in 2002, he changed his name, apparently because he thought it was similar to actors Prabhu Deva and Ilaya Thilagam Prabhu. Inspired by the 1995 fictional covert operation from Kuruthipunal, he adopted his stage name, Dhanush.
If not an actor, what did Dhanush aspire to be?
Ahead of the release of his 2015 Hindi satirical film Shamitabh directed by R Balki, he spoke in an interview about how he actually wanted to become a chef. Dhanush wanted to study hotel management. "I love to cook and I experimented a lot with cooking as a child. I would always be planning to cook something for my father," said Dhanush.
'Kolaveri Di' record
While Dhanush was an established actor in the South Indian film industry, he rose to pan-India popularity with his song Why This Kolaveri Di from the 2012 Tamil film 3. It was the first Indian music video to cross 100M views on YouTube. Dhanush wrote the song in merely six minutes and a rough version of the song was recorded in 35 minutes.
Lord Shiva devotee
Dhanush is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. He has given his two sons Shaivite names- Yatra and Linga. He was married to Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth, superstar Rajinikanth's eldest daughter, until they announced separation in January last year after 18 years of togetherness. Due to his devotion, he is a vegetarian as well. He was awarded the Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity by PETA in 2011.
