Dhanush

"Why This Kolaveri Di", a song from 3, was the first Indian music video to pass 100 million YouTube views, and it came from Dhanush, who acts, makes films, writes lyrics and sings. He was born Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja in 1983 in Madras (now Chennai). His father is director Kasthuri Raja and his elder brother is director Selvaraghavan. Most of his films are in Tamil, with some in Hindi and Telugu. He debuted in 2002 with Thulluvadho Ilamai, directed by his father, and broke through a year later in Selvaraghavan's Kaadhal Kondein. Polladhavan (2007) and Yaaradi Nee Mohini (2008) found favour with critics and audiences. As a rooster-fight jockey in Aadukalam (2010) he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Tamil, and Asuran (2019) brought him the National Award for Best Actor a second time. He has six National Film Awards and has acted in 50 films. Velaiilla Pattadhari, Maari, Vada Chennai, Thiruchitrambalam and Raayan (2024) are among his key titles. Raanjhanaa (2013), his Hindi debut, won him the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut. He runs the production house Wunderbar Films and directed his first film, Pa. Pandi, in 2017. He is now acting in and producing OM – Chapter 1: Udhiram – The Blood Wood, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, where he shares the screen with Mammootty.