It is his 25th film and actor Dhanush has done all that it takes to make the flick special both for himself and his fans. Vellai Illa Pattadhari (VIP) is a milestone for the National Award-winning actor, who believes that the release of the film is the most suited occasion for him to re-examine his career that has spanned more than a decade.
“VIP is special on many counts. In the last 12 years of my career, I have starred in several projects and VIP is a culmination of all my projects till date,” he says. The film also stars the newly-wed Amala Paul, Vivek, Samuthirakani and Saranya Ponvannan in pivotal roles.
The film that hit screens this Friday has Dhanush essaying the role of a ‘nobody’, as he prefers to call it. “As the title suggests, it is about an unemployed graduate. The highlight of the character is that he is neither extraordinary, nor there is anything strikingly different about him. In fact, a person will not want to give the character another glance,” he says. He adds that pulling off a role that is unassuming and subtle led him to approach it with nonchalance. “At the same time, I had to ensure that the effortlessness didn’t look contrived on screen,” he adds.
When he was a few films away from the milestone, Dhanush had already decided to produce his 25th under his banner Wunderbar Films. “I am happy I was offered VIP and it turned out that it truly had the substance that can make it more special for me and the audience,” he says.
The actor is all praise for filmmaker Velraj for giving him the liberty to contribute in several capacities. Apart from penning the lyrics, the actor has crooned three songs in the film, including a lilting melody with the legendary playback singer S Janaki. “Ever since 3’s release, music composer Anirudh Ravichander and I have become a team. We share a great rapport. The director gave us a free hand with the music and songs and he believed we could conjure up magic as a duo,” he says.
After making inroads into Bollywood with the critically acclaimed love story Raanjhanaa last year, Dhanush is geared up for yet another Bollywood outing in R Balki’s Shamitabh starring Amitabh Bachchan. Sharing screen space with the thespian for the first time, Dhanush is completely bowled over by the actor’s poise and charisma. “His dedication to the craft is amazing. Despite being a legend, he doesn’t impose his stardom on you. It is heartening to see his comfort level with every actor; at the same time, he doesn’t inhibit you with his inputs or suggestions on your performance,” he says. Shamitabh will mark the debut of Kamal Haasan’s younger daughter Akshara Haasan. With cinematography by PC Sreeram and music by Ilaiyaraaja, the film has quite a few Tamil
industry names on its credits.
Dhanush says the second project has made him comfortable with acting in Hindi films. “I don’t know the language, but with Shamitabh, I am a lot more confident about doing a Hindi flick. I am getting to work with a host of Tamil technicians and speaking to them in Tamil has put me at ease,” he says with a laugh. But Dhanush maintains that the increasing comfort will not make him pursue Hindi films alone. “It is not the language, but the content that dictates my choice of roles,” he says.
Following VIP, Dhanush has a line-up of Tamil flicks like Anaegan directed by KV Anand and two untitled projects with filmmakers Vetrimaaran and Balaji Mohan of Kadhalil Sodhappuvadhu Yeppadi fame. Experimenting with his looks, Anegan is expected to present the actor in four different looks.
Noting the transient trend in Tamil cinema, Dhanush is happy that he is playing a part in the shift in paradigm, when it comes to movie-making and production. “At the moment, our cinema has become highly experimental and there is a rapid shift in trends. I am eager to see where the new brigade of filmmakers is taking Tamil cinema,” he says.