Dhanush (born July 28, 1983) is an Indian actor, singer, producer, and director. He mainly works in Tamil movies. He is famous for his acting, dance, and songs. His real name is "Venkatesh Prabhu Kasthuri Raja", but he uses the name Dhanush in movies.

Dhanush was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. His father, Kasthuri Raja, is a film director. At first, Dhanush wanted to become a chef, but his brother Selvaraghavan, a director, encouraged him to act.

Dhanush made his debut in the movie Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002), directed by his father. Later, he became popular with films like Polladhavan (2007), Aadukalam (2011), and Raanjhanaa (2013), which was his first Hindi movie.

He won a National Film Award for Best Actor for his role in Aadukalam. Dhanush also gained international fame with his song "Why This Kolaveri Di" (2011) from the movie 3 (2012), which became viral on YouTube.

Dhanush is also a singer and has sung several songs in Tamil. He works as a producer through his company Wunderbar Films, which has produced hit movies. He also directed a film called Pa Paandi (2017).

In 2022, Dhanush acted in a Hollywood movie, The Gray Man, alongside actors like Ryan Gosling.

Dhanush married Aishwarya, the daughter of superstar Rajinikanth, in 2004. They have two sons. In 2022, Dhanush and Aishwarya announced their separation.

Dhanush has won many awards, including National Awards, Filmfare Awards, and state awards. His acting is known for being natural, and he is praised for playing different types of roles.

Dhanush continues to be one of the most popular and successful actors in South Indian cinema.