Look Who is Talking - Dhanush

Look who's talking

He's calm as a summer sea. His latest release Shamitabh may not have done wonders at the box-office but Dhanush seems unperturbed. Besides, he has reasons to be happy. Reportedly, his last Tamil release Anegan raked in '20 crore in just two days. And while R Balki's Shamitabh could not attain the feat in terms of monies, it won him rah rahs. Dhanush's deaf-mute character in the film spoke for his intrinsic talent. He held his own, sharing screen space with the powerhouse of talent Amitabh Bachchan. The evolving actor now wants to strike a balance between the method and madness of being in the movies. A tete-a-tete with the man of the moment... 

You seem to have hit a balance with the critical acclaim of Shamitabh and the commercial success of Anegan...
Yes... Earlier, I went through a rough patch in my career. I've had four flops down South in recent times. And I deal with it the way it's supposed to be dealt with. I'm a secure person. What is mine is mine and nobody is going to take it away from me. But during those last years, I tried to make a difference. I was only doing blockbuster and formulaic films and I realised that I didn't have enough quality-driven films. I grew selective. That's how I won the National Award for Aadukalam. The film hasn't done too well but I'm proud to be associated with it. Just recently, I did a film called VIP, purely for commercial success. And it worked big time for me. Now I'm trying to find a balance between entertainment and good content. 

The audiences appreciated your onscreen vibe with debutante Akshara Haasan in Shamitabh...
Akshara never gave the feeling that she was new to the movie business. She's a sharp girl, who came on the set, did her work and left. People have liked her. I could relate to Akshara. It reminded me of the time I started my career. I could see myself in her. It was a memorable experience working with her. 

Are there any friends you've made in the industry? 
I haven't met many people here to have made friends. I do party here but not much. Whenever I'm here, I try to step out and chill. Aanand L. Rai is my closest friend here. He's like my brother. R Balki is a good friend too just as is Sonam (Kapoor).

Do you catch up with them when you come down to Mumbai?
I try my best to meet them. But everyone is busy with their respective work. The other day I wanted to meet Sonam for dinner but she wrapped up late. The next day we made a plan to meet again but that evening I wrapped up late. We couldn't catch up. But we're constantly in touch. She's so sweet. Whenever she gets to know that I'm in Mumbai, she sends me ghar ka khaana. I have to say that she's been a great support system. Sonam is a star and Ranjhanaa was my debut Hindi film. She could've easily thrown her weight around but she was kind to me. She took care of me. During press meets when it was said that I was not star material, she'd get up and argue with them in my defence. I'm thankful to her. 

Have you thought of directing a film someday? 
Oh, yes someday! Directing is my passion. It excites me. I like to observe people. I observed Amitji (Amitabh Bachchan) while he acted. I observed and learned from him. I like to observe how others sing, dance... 
I even watch how the director frames a shot in a particular way. 

Does competition bother you? 
No. I've always been a secure person. When my job is done here, I want people to remember me as one of the finest performers. That's all. 

Can we expect another composition like Kolaveri Di from you? 
Music is my passion. I'd perish without it. But I'm not a music director. I have an interest in it. I tried my hand on something like Kolaveri Di and it worked wonders. It could've happened with anyone but fortunately for me, it turned out with me. It was God's blessing. Now, I want to concentrate on acting. 

Any future associations with your wife Aishwarya after she directed you in 3? 
No. It gets difficult with the kids (sons Yatra and Linga) around. If both of us aren't there with the children then they have to be with the grandparents. I'm not happy with that. She is making films but then I try to be around.

So what lies ahead? 
One step at a time. That's the best way to go about it.