Dhanush Birthday Special: Five Career-Defining Performances Of The Actor

Actor Dhanush is truly a versatile talent powerhouse. The South star is an actor, producer, director, writer, lyricist, screenwriter, and playback singer rolled into one. He made his debut with Thulluvadho Ilamai which was directed by his father and he hasn’t looked back since. Dhanush has made his mark in the entertainment industry with some iconic roles over the years.

As the  actor celebrates his 37th birthday, we bring you five of his career-defining performances:

Career-Defining Performances Of Dhanush

Pudhupettai

Pudhupettai featured Dhanush as a local gangster on the rise. The film was directed by Selvaraghavan and offered the first real glimpse of Dhanush’s range as an actor. While the film tanked at the box-office, it still enjoys a cult following. It is one of the most enigmatic performances in Dhanush’s repertoire.

Polladhavan

Polladhavan starred Dhanush as the boy-next-door stuck in dangerous circumstances. The thriller has been directed by Vetrimaaran and features a fine performance by the actor.

Maryan

Bharat Bala directed Dhanush in this sensitive story about love and reunion. While the film didn’t do well at the box-office, Dhanush received a lot of praise for his performance in the film. The actor takes on the title role of Maryan who goes to work in an oil company in Sudan to pay back the loans of his uncle. While on his way back, he and his co-workers are held hostage by terrorists. Parvathy Thiruvothu, Uma Riyaz Khan, and Salim Kumar also feature in the film.

Vada Chennai

Vada Chennai has Dhanush venturing to the dark side. Exploring the story of the dark underbelly of North Chennai, Vada Chennai sees the actor delivering a layered and seasoned performance. He plays the boy who sets foot in the world of crime and joins forces with local gangsters to settle their feuds. However, he decides to take them down when they plan to wipe out his locality.

Asuran

Dhanush and Vetrimaaran’s fourth collaboration Asuran was based on the best-selling novel Vekkai by Poomani. Starring Dhanush in dual roles, Asuran is set against a rural backdrop. It spans across two generations and sees the actor playing a man in his 40’s as well as a young man in his 20’s.