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#The Gray Man: Who is Dhanush?

“The Gray Man: Who is Dhanush?”

The latest blockbuster action hit from Netflix, The Gray Man has earned fans around the world. The film has entertained audiences with its high-voltage action sequences, star cast, and quippy humor. Based on the eponymous novel by Mark Greaney, the film tells the story of a lethal CIA assassin, Six, played by Ryan Gosling.

Netflix has put a lot of faith in the film in light of recent news about dropping subscriber counts, as outlined by NY Times. On this count, the Russo Brothers were an apt choice to direct the movie with their prior experience in cinematic world-building with the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise. Now, they hope to build a brand-new spy movie universe based on Greany’s novels — and every single character established in The Gray Man is essential to their future vision.

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Significantly, The Gray Man also introduced western audiences to South Indian superstar Dhanush. It was a deliberate choice on the part of the Russo Brothers, who understood the value of appealing to a global audience, per Insider, during their time with the MCU. Dhanush had an active role in the film’s promotion, and captured viewers’ attention during his short appearance in the movie with his meteoric presence. But who is Dhanush, exactly? Here’s all you need to know about Dhanush, the “sexy Tamil friend” from The Gray Man.

Tamil Film Blood

Indian cinema has a history that is nearly as old as Hollywood. The country’s earliest filmmakers could readily borrow from their existing culture of Indian classical drama, which had vast philosophical and technical components. Coming together with this artistic heritage was a deep reverence for the arts that was often passed down within families from generation to generation. This is best seen in the world of Indian classical music, where renowned families continue to be revered for specialized musical styles. Modern Indian cinema has its own version of this tradition. In Indian cinema, it is quite common for established actors and filmmakers to bring their own children into the industry as new stars. The country also has families that have been involved in the film industry for generations. Leading actors of RRR, Ram Charan and NTR. Jr, both belong to such families.


Dhanush himself was born to Tamil director and producer Kasthuri Raja. His elder brother, Selvaraghavan, is also a critically acclaimed film director. Both of them bear responsibility for his success; his father directly launched him as a film star by giving him a major role in the 2002 film Thulluvadho Ilamai. The coming-of-age movie was dubbed a sleeper hit and opened the way for his acting future. Dhanush also worked in many of his brother’s films. Armed with a penchant for making experimental films, Selvaraghavan challenged Dhanush at every turn. The brother duo explored their early career path together, and Dhanush often credits his brother for helping him become a better actor.

Related: The Gray Man: How Many Movies Are Planned in the Franchise?

Carving His Own Brand

While his film family background made it easier for Dhanush to break into the industry, he quickly proved his mettle and established a distinct identity for himself. At 5’6″-tall, he was an unassuming figure and often attracted doubts and criticism about his ability to take on leading roles. Nevertheless, his career was peppered with critical and commercial hits from early on. He established himself with films such as 2006’s Pudhupettai, a crime action film where he proved himself as a definite show-stealer. Despite his diminutive stature, he convincingly pulled off the role of the maniacal gangster Kokki Kumar.

Audiences saw his dedication with the 2011 film Aadukalam, which Dhanush shot for over three years. The film gave him the sort of grounded role that can only be found in South Indian cinema — a local rooster trainer trying to make it into the large cockfighting scene in his city. The movie made him the youngest actor to win the Indian National Film Award for Best Actor. Dhanush also showed great interest in working with diverse film genres. He played four different roles in the psychological thriller, Anegan. He also dabbled with political thriller in Kodi, and black comedy with Jagame Thandiram. Along the way, he crafted some of the most memorable characters in Tamil cinema with films such as Maari and Asuran.

An Actor, Producer, and Film Musician

Dhanush’s on-screen magnetism made him a major box-office hit. It seemed that he knew the secret to a perfect balance between commercial blockbusters and experimental roles. His films regularly appeared among the top-grossing in Tamil cinema in any given year. His film 2018 film Vadachennai even became the highest-grossing Tamil film of all time.

Of course, acting was just one of many roles he wished to play in the filmmaking process. An avid singer and lyricist, Dhanush has a fully-fledged career as a film playback singer, lyricist. His most famous achievement on this front is “Why This Kolaveri Di,” a song he wrote and sang for the 2012 movie 3. A playful track written in a mix of English and Tamil (often dubbed ‘Tanglish’), it went instantly viral all over India for its catchy chorus. Its official video on YouTube has over 300 million views.

Dhanush also runs his own film production company known as Wunderbar Films. Many of his popular films have been produced under its banner. He has also tried his hands at writing and directing. He wrote the story and dialogues for the 2017 film Velaiilla Pattadhari 2, and appeared in the same as the lead actor. His directorial debut, Power Paandi, was also released the same year.

Related: The Gray Man: Directing Big Budget Action Movies Without Superheroes

A Presence in Bollywood and Hollywood

While Dhanush primarily works in the Tamil film industry, he has also ventured out to play a few roles in Bollywood — India’s Hindi-language film industry that is arguably its most famous. The work he has done in Hindi cinema has definitely left a mark. His Bollywood debut was with the 2013 romance film Raanjhanaa. The movie was a major hit among Hindi-speaking audiences, and earned Dhanush the ETC Bollywood Business Award for Best Male Debut. He also received a nomination for the Filmfare Best Actor Award.

The Gray Man wasn’t his first appearance in a western movie either. Dhanush previously starred in the French film The Extraordinary Journey of The Fakir, playing the role of an Indian street magician who finds himself on a sudden journey around the world. Unfortunately, while critics singled out Dhanush’s performance, the movie didn’t fare too well at the box office.


In a way, his performance as the assassin Lone Wolf in The Gray Man may well be considered a Hollywood do-over for Dhanush. With an entire film universe based on The Gray Man novels appearing on the horizon, the Russo Brothers have shared that Dhanush will play an important part in the film series going forward — possibly with a standalone movie of his own. As he’s already captivated audiences with his short appearance on The Gray Man, the development of his character in the cinematic universe will be an exciting journey to follow.

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