At the recent audio launch of his upcoming film “Raayan,” actor Dhanush’s speech left the internet divided. During the event, Dhanush shared a personal story about his journey to buying a house in Poes Garden, a prestigious locality in Chennai known for housing notable figures like Rajinikanth and the late Jayalalithaa. Referring to himself as an “outsider,” Dhanush recounted how he used to dream of owning a home in the area as a teenager.
“I used to ride by Rajini sir’s house and Jayalalithaa Amma’s house when I was 16,” Dhanush recalled. “I told myself that one day, somehow, I want to buy at least a small house in a posh locality like Poes Garden. The Poes Garden house today is a gift to the 16-year-old Venkatesh Prabhu,” he said, referring to his birth name.
However, the speech received backlash online, with some critics pointing out that Dhanush comes from a film family—his father, Kasthuri Raja, is a well-known director. Critics argued that his portrayal as an “outsider” was misleading, given his early access to the film industry. One social media user commented, “It’s funny when a ‘Nepo Kid’ like Dhanush talks about starting from scratch. Your family has a cinema background, and you accessed it easily.” Another noted that Dhanush’s first film was financed by his father and that he was already married to Rajinikanth’s daughter by age 20.
🤔 What is this new level of idiocy from Dhanush?
The guy says that the incident happened when he was 16 y.o. Was he an outsider back then? No. His father was a well-known director who had lost his magic.
At 18 y.o, his father pooled finances to produce a film with him as the… pic.twitter.com/3i6JGBdY8P
— Saikiran Kannan | 赛基兰坎南 (@saikirankannan) July 23, 2024
Despite the criticism, some fans defended Dhanush, finding his speech inspiring. One supporter commented, “If you can find some inspiration from it, get it; else, ignore it. Spreading hatred is the worst thing we are doing.”
The Mosy irritating part for me in Audio launch more than dhanush speech that his kids have been given center stage and the artist and technician of the movie are sidelined. Well he is a Nepo so he works in this way.
— Gramophoneman (@Gramophone_Man) July 24, 2024
Why are people hating on Dhanush’s speech? I actually found it inspiring tbh. I felt goosebumps.
— 🔥🧊 (@mhdra18) July 24, 2024
Dhanush’s directorial “Raayan,” starring himself, Sundeep Kishan, and Kalidas Jayaram, along with a stellar cast including SJ Suryah, Selvaraghavan, Prakash Raj, and others, is set to release this Friday. Additionally, he will soon be seen in Sekhar Kammula’s bilingual film “Kubera,” featuring Nagarjuna, Rashmika Mandanna, and Jim Sarbh.
