Dhanush Recounts Being Mocked For His Physique Early In His Career, 'People Used To Call Me..'

Dhanush is a phenomenal pan-Indian actor. Currently, he is on a promotional spree for his film, Kara. For the unversed, the upcoming Tamil action thriller starring Dhanush is scheduled to hit the theatres on April 30, 2026. In the film, Dhanush plays a dacoit who robs banks in broad daylight and faces consequences for his actions. Alongside Dhanush, the upcoming film also stars, Mamitha Baiju and Suraj Venjaramoodu. In a recent interview, Dhanush recalled being mocked early in his career for his physique.

Dhanush opens up about the challenges faced early in his career

Recently, Dhanush appeared at a pre-release event of his film, Kara. During the event, Dhanush was given a bike number plate as a sign from his 2007 film, Polladhavan. Upon receiving the number plate, Dhanush showed it to the crowd and smiled. For the uninitiated, Polladhavan follows a man named 'Prabhu Shankar' (played by Dhanush), whose life improves after he buys a bike. However, his life goes upside down when his bike gets stolen.

At the event, Dhanush admitted that the 2007 film was a turning point in his career. The pan-Indian actor mentioned that before Polladhavan, people used to mock him for his physique. But things changed when he appeared with a six-pack. It was the first time people praised his body. Dhanush was quoted as saying:

"Polladhavan was a turning point for me… before that, people used to call me very thin. When I suddenly appeared with a six-pack, it was the first time that people clapped for my body. There were whistles. It was a special film for me."

Dhanush's illustrious acting career

Dhanush made his acting debut with the Tamil film, Thulluvadho Ilamai. However, his breakthrough came with the Tamil film, Kaadhal Kondein. Over the years, he won many accolades, including four National Film Awards, two Tamil Nadu State Film Awards, fourteen SIIMA Awards, eight Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award. He has made his Hindi film debut with the movie, Raanjhanaa. It is worth mentioning that, besides Dhanush’s illustrious acting career, he has also won hearts with the popular song, Why This Kolaveri Di from the thriller, 3.

Dhanush's personal life

Apart from his professional front, Dhanush has always garnered the spotlight for his personal life. He was married to Rajinikanth’s eldest daughter, Aishwaryaa. For those unaware, Dhanush tied the knot with Aishwaryaa in 2004. Their wedding was a grand affair and was held in Chennai. However, the duo called it quits after 18 years of marriage. The former couple share two children, Yatra and Linga.

Following their separation in 2024, Dhanush shared a statement. In the statement, the pan-Indian actor mentioned that he and Aishwaryaa had spent these 18 years as friends, a couple, parents and well-wishers to each other. Dhanush highlighted that he and Aishwaryaa had decided to part ways as a couple only to understand themselves as individuals.

In August 2025, Dhanush and Mrunal Thakur sparked dating rumours when the former attended the premiere of the latter’s film, Son of Sardaar 2. Time and again, Mrunal debunked the dating rumours with Dhanush. She called him a good friend. Earlier, this year, in 2026, reports surfaced claiming that Dhanush and Mrunal were all set to tie the knot on Valentine’s Day 2026.

While Mrunal laughed it off, Dhanush’s team issued a statement to shut down the rumours. His team mentioned that Mrunal and Dhanush are good friends, like any other actors in the industry. They highlighted that Dhanush had no plans to remarry and is co-parenting his children, Yatra and Linga, with his ex-wife, Aishwaryaa.

What are your thoughts on Dhanush's statement? Let us know.

Also Read: Is Thalapathy Vijay's Daughter Supporting His Political Party Amid Divorce Row? Here's What We Know

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Get App

AWESOME NEWS! Now you can download BollywoodShaadis app and never miss a story. Choose your device Android or IOS (Apple)