Dhanush’s Thangamagan, which is to hit screens on December 18, has raised expectations among fans, especially with rumour mills abuzz that this film is a sequel to VIP because the same team worked on both films.
Dhanush rubbishes these rumours and says, “Thangamagan is not Vellai Illa Pattathari 2. It is a completely different film.” He adds that the film will be a family entertainer that focuses on relationships, and will have something for everybody in it. “At this point, everybody is stressed after the rains in Chennai. Hopefully, the film will provide relief. The story of Thangamagan happens in two phases — before and after a wedding. I play a character called Tamizh in this film.”
A curious trait that Dhanush is known for is to borrow titles of Superstar Rajinikanth’s (his father-in-law) hits for his films. He smiles, and says, “I named one of my films Padikathavan (2010), a title that had originally been used by Rajini sir. After that, it is only now that I am using one of his films’ titles for my film. Interestingly, I originally named this film Tamizh Magan. However, my producers expressed a strong desire to call it Thangamagan. I respect their choice of title.”
A busy actor who is juggling multiple shooting schedules, Dhanush has a long list of films after Thangamagan. “I just finished Prabhu Solomon’s film. The film has a lot of graphics and so it will take till next May to release the film. Now, I am now on Durai Senthilkumar’s film — a political thriller with Trisha and Shamili. People have been calling it Kodi, but it’s just a working title. After that, I have Vetri Maran’s Vada Chennai, which will be a two-part film. The decision to make it in two parts was made almost four to five years ago. This will be a 2017 summer release. I will also be working again with the director of Raajnahaa (2013) on another Hindi film.”
So why does he continue to smoke on screen? After all, audiences in India are known to emulate their stars’ on-screen actions. Replies Dhanush, “I am a non-smoker. However, I will never tell a director that I will not smoke on screen. I wish to tell my fans this. If you wish to emulate me, imitate my behaviour off screen. Follow what I do in real life.”