Dhanush Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Birth name	R K Vengadesha Prabu [1]Deccan Herald
Real name	Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja [2]Wikipedia
Other name	Dhanush K Raja [3]Instagram
Profession(s)	Actor, Producer, Director, Writer, Lyricist, Screenwriter, and Playback Singer
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 9" (175 cm)
Weight (approx.)	70 Kg (154 lbs)
Body Measurements (approx.)	- Chest: 38 inches - Waist: 30 inches - Biceps: 11 inches
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film (Tamil; As an actor): Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002) as Mahesh Film (Hindi; As an actor): Raanjhanaa (2013) as Kundan Shankarin Film (English; As an actor): The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (2015) as Lavash Patel Film (Tamil; As a producer): 3 (2012) Film (Tamil; As a lyricist): Kadhal En Kadhal from ‘Mayakkam Enna’ (2011)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	National Film Awards 2010: Best Actor for Aadukalam 2014: Best Children’s Film (co-producer) for Kaaka Muttai 2015: Best Feature Film in Tamil (co-producer) for Visaranai 2019: Best Actor for Asuran Filmfare Awards (Bollywood) 2013: Best Debutant Actor for Raanjhanaa Filmfare Awards South 2011: Best Actor for Aadukalam 2012: Best Male Playback Singer for Why This Kolaveri Di from the film 3 2012: Best Actor for 3 2013: Critics Best Actor award for Maryan 2014: Best Actor for Velaiyilla Pattathari 2015: Best Film for Kaaka Muttai (co-producer) 2018: Best Actor for Vada Chennai Vijay Awards 2008: Best Entertainer of the Year for Yaaradi Nee Mohini 2011: Best Crew (actor) for Aadukalam 2012: Best Lyricist for “Po Nee Po” from 3 2013: Best Crew (producer) for Ethir Neechal 2014: Best Actor for Velaiyilla Pattathari South Indian International Movie Awards (SIIMA) 2011: Best Actor for Aadukalam 2011: Best Male Playback Singer for “Voda Voda” from Mayakkam Enna IIFA Utsavam 2015: Best Lyricist – Tamil for “Don-u Don-u Don-u” from Maari 2018: Best Actor for Vada Chennai 2018: Best Film for Vada Chennai (co-producer) Edison Awards (India) 2013: Best Actor for Maryan 2018: Best Actor for Vada Chennai 2019: Best Actor for Asuran Note: He has many more accolades to his name.
Personal Life
Date of Birth	28 July 1982 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2024)	42 Years
Birthplace	Government Children’s Hospital in Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu [4]The Hindu
Zodiac sign	Leo
Signature/Autograph
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Chennai, Tamil Nadu
School	Thai Sathya Matriculation High School, Chennai
College/University	Madurai Kamaraj University
Educational Qualification	Bachelor of Computer Application (distance education) [5]S & S Family First
Religion	Hinduism [6]India Today
Caste	Naicker (Backward class community) [7]India Today
Food Habit	Vegetarian [8]The Times of India
Controversies	• There were reports that Shruti Haasan and Dhanush got carried away while shooting for a romantic scene on the sets of '3' movie in 2011, which later turned out to be an affair. However, Dhanush’s wife slammed such rumours. [9]Odisha TV • In November 2016, Kathiresan and Meenaal, an old couple from Thiruppuvanam, Tamil Nadu, claimed that they were the real parents of Dhanush. They said that Dhanush's original name was 'Kalaiyarasan,' and he left the house in 2002 after his poor scores in exam results, after which he came to Chennai to become an actor and never visited them again. Not only this, they filed a complaint in the local police station and the Chief Minister's special cell, and appealed the authorities to help them "in getting their son back" and asked for a monthly maintenance of ₹65000/month from Dhanush. Later, it was found that there was no truth to the couple's claim. [10]The News Minute [11]Deccan Herald • In 2017, Dhanush was accused of sexual assaults by the South Indian singer RJ Suchitra in one of her tweets. Later, her husband said that she was in depression, and her Twitter account was hacked. [12]The Indian Express • In an interview in May 2024, singer Suchitra alleged that both Dhanush and Aishwarya R. Dhanush cheated on each other during their marriage. [13]The Times of India • In November 2024, he entered into a feud with actress Nayanthara after she posted on Instagram claiming that he had sent her a legal notice demanding Rs. 10 crore. The notice was in response to her alleged use of a three-second behind-the-scenes video of her from the 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which Dhanush produced, without prior permission in a documentary based on her life as an actress. Nayanthara also stated that she had sent a formal letter in 2022 requesting permission to use the video clip, but Dhanush failed to respond to that letter.
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Divorced
Affairs/Girlfriends	• Aishwarya R. Dhanush • Shruti Haasan (Actor; rumoured in 2011) [14]Odisha TV • Trisha Krishnan (Actor; rumoured) [15]Odisha TV
Marriage Date	8 November 2004
Marriage Place	Raghavendra Kalyana Mandapam, Chennai
Family
Wife/Spouse	Aishwarya R. Dhanush (Director and Classical Dancer) (m. 2004; div. 27 November 2024)
Children	Son(s)- Yatra (born; 2006) and Linga (born; 2010)
Parents	Father- Kasthuri Raja (Filmmaker) Mother- Vijaylakshmi
Siblings	Brother- Selvaraghavan (Elder, Director) Sisters- K. Vimala Geetha, Karthika Devi (Doctor)
Other Relative	Father-in-law- Rajinikanth (Actor)
Favourites
Food	Idiyappam, Kadala Curry
Actor(s)	Mohanlal, Amitabh Bachchan, Al Pacino, Tom Hanks
Actress(es)	Simran, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Monica Bellucci
Film(s)	Netri Kann (1981), Baashha (1995), Pudhupettai (2006), and Drushyam (2014)
Musician	Ilaiyaraaja
Song	“Thendral Vanthu Theendum Pothu” from the film ‘Avatharam’ (2014)
Book	Love Story by Erich Segal
Colour	Black
Sport(s)	Tennis, Snooker, Football
Football Club	FC Barcelona
Style Quotient
Car Collection	• Audi A8 • Ford Mustang GT • Bentley Continental Flying Spur (worth Rs. 3.40 Crore) • Rolls Royce Ghost Series 2 (worth Rs. 7.95 Crore) • Jaguar XE
Money Factor
Assets/Properties	A mansion in Chennai worth Rs. 25 crore
Net Worth	Rs. 230 Crore (as of 2024)

Some Lesser Known Facts About Dhanush

• Does Dhanush smoke?: No ^[16]SS Family First

• Does Dhanush drink alcohol?: No ^[17]SS Family First

• Dhanush is an Indian actor, producer, director, writer, lyricist, screenwriter, and playback singer.

• He was born in a middle-class Hindu family. ^[18]SS Family First

• In an interview, he shared that in childhood he wanted to have a red remote-controlled toy car which one of his friends used to have. He further said,

I wanted it so badly that I’d go ask him (neighbour) and he’d refuse to part with it. My brother used to take a used thread spool and try to shape it into something that looked like a car. The days I’ve yearned for that red car I’d never forget.”

• While he was in school, he wanted to become a chef or marine engineer.

• He failed in 12th class final exams, and later, he completed his graduation through distance learning. ^[19]SS Family First

• In an interview, he shared that he was brought up in a poor family. He said,

For a large part of my father’s youth, he worked in a mill and took up odd jobs to make ends meet. We lived in a small room and could only afford a meal a day. Dad would walk 11km every day to save a rupee of bus fare so we could go to school. I’ve seen poverty up close until I was four or five. But dad was a writer from a young age. Even while working in the mill, he would write stories and scripts and sell them to people for Rs 50 or so. They would then sell the stories to directors and producers as their own. Through one such contact, he got a break in the Tamil film industry as an assistant director. He must have been in his late 30s then. He worked hard for 15 years before making his directorial debut.”

Dhanush further added,

Of course! I was all of 16, I cried, threw tantrums, fasted. Nothing worked. I am glad it didn’t as I realise today I cannot do anything else. I suffer from stage fright so I blabber on stage and stop midway through my performances. I cannot even write a cheque as it makes me nervous. Being around people makes me nervous. But I’m very comfortable in front of the camera, and this I realised many films later.”

• He met Aishwarya for the first time at the screening of the Tamil film ‘Kadhal Kondaen’ (2003). Later, they started dating and got married in a traditional wedding ceremony. Whereas as per some other sources, their parents were friends and decided to fix the marriage of their children. ^[20]Bollywood Shaadis ^[21]Pinkvilla

• In an interview, he shared that when he started his career as an actor, his English-speaking skills were poor. He said,

My English was pretty bad in 2005. To fix that, I got into the habit of reading English books. It would take me more than six months initially to read a book; I’d fall asleep before finishing a single chapter.”

• He debuted as an actor in his father’s directorial film ‘Thulluvadho Ilamai’ in 2002.

• In 2003, he acted in the Tamil film ‘Kadhal Kondein’ directed by his brother Selvaraghavan.

• In 2004, his films failed to do well at the box office, and his films like ‘Pudhukottaiyilirundhu Saravanan,’ ‘Sullan,’ and ‘Dreams’ were a flop.

• Later, his films ‘Devathaiyai Kanden’ (2005), ‘Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam’ (2005), ‘Yaaradi Nee Mohini’ (2008), and ‘Padikkadavan’ (2009) became hit, giving a boost to his acting career.

• He won his first National Award for the Tamil film ‘Aadukalam’ (2011) in which he played the role of a rooster fight jockey.

• In 2012, he released a song “Why This Kolaveri Di” on YouTube which went viral across the world. Later, the song was released in the Tamil film ‘3’ starring Dhanush and Shruti Haasan.

• Dhanush and his wife started a film production company ‘Wunderbar Films’ on 20 May 2010, and their first film as a producer was the Tamil film ‘3’ released in 2012. Some of his other films as a producer are ‘Ethir Neechal’ (2013), ‘Kaaki Sattai’ (2015), ‘Maari’ (2015), ‘Kaala’ (2018), and ‘Maari 2’ (2018).

• He is a renowned singer and has lent his voice for various songs like “Un mele” from the film ‘Aayirathil Oruvan’ (2010), “Danga maari” from ‘Anegan’ (2015), “Maalai Varum Vannilla” from ‘Nenjam Marappathillai’ (2016), “Polladha Bhoomi” from ‘Asuran’ (2019), and “Kaathodu Kaathanen” from ‘Jail’ (2020).

• He is a lyricist too and has penned down the lyrics of various songs like “Why This Kolaveri Di” from ‘3’ (2012), “Po Indru Neeyaga” from ‘Velaiilla Pattadhari’ (2014), “Venpanimalare” from ‘Pa Paandi’ (2017), and “Ilamai Thirumbuthe” from ‘Petta’ (2019).

• After making his successful debut in the Bollywood film ‘Raanjhanaa’ in 2013, he acted in the Hindi film ‘Shamitabh’ (2015) along with the legendary Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan.
  

• In 2021, he completed shooting for the Tamil film ‘Jagame Thandhiram’ and the Hindi film ‘Atrangi Re.’ In the same year, he was filming for the English film ‘The Gray Man.’

• He is an ardent devotee of Lord Shiva and has named his sons Yatra (Pilgrimage) and Linga (Shiva Lingam).

• He was titled ‘India’s ‘Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity’ in 2011 by the American animal rights organization ‘PETA,’ but Dhanush did not like it and considered it to be an insult. ^[22]The Hindustan Times

• He assisted an international non-governmental organization WWF for their initiative ‘Earth Hour’ in 2012.

• Dhanush has been featured on the cover page of various renowned magazines.
  

  Dhanush featured on Filmfare magazine

• Based on his yearly earnings, he has been listed in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list for six times. ^[23]Forbes India

• Dhanush has featured in various TV commercials like 7UP, Tata Nano, and Center Fresh.

• On one of his birthdays, he visited Kotiswari to meet his 12-year-old fan who was in the last stage of blood cancer.
  

  Dhanush celebrated his birthday with his fan