Dhanush is an Indian actor, producer, director and playback singer. He is considered one of the most versatile and popular actors of his generation. After making his debut in 2002, he earned early recognition for playing unconventional heroes in films such as Kadhal Kondein (2003) and Pudhupettai (2006), before attaining wider mainstream popularity with a series of hit films. His performance in Aadukalam (2011) won him the National Film Award for Best Actor. Dhanush gained wider popularity in Hindi cinema with Raanjhanaa (2013) and continued to balance commercial and critically acclaimed films such as Velaiilla Pattadhari (2014), Vada Chennai (2018), Asuran (2019), and Thiruchitrambalam (2022). He made his Hollywood debut with The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir (2018) and his directorial debut with Pa Paandi (2017).