- Dhanush won Best Tamil Film and Special Mention Best Actor at 72nd National Film Awards
- His film Raayan's award sparked controversy among audiences and critics
- Dhanush's speech at a fan club blood donation camp hinted at political ambitions
Tamil star Dhanush has been making headlines for numerous reasons in recent days. On July 18, when the 72nd National Film Awards were announced, the actor and director bagged two awards, namely the National Award for Best Tamil Film (as director) for Raayan, and he received the Special Mention (Best Actor) for Captain Miller.
A controversy of sorts erupted when sections of audiences and critics questioned the jury's choice of awarding Raayan rather than other films like Meiazhagan and Maharaja.
Cut to Sunday, July 25, Dhanush attended a blood donation camp organised by his fan club and his speech at the event triggered speculation about his political entry.
Addressing his fans and those gathered at the blood donation camp, Dhanush stated, "So many people are gathered in one place. There's a great power in this kind of unity. We need to give that unity a purpose. Beyond just audio launches and meetups, we need to engage in even more welfare activities. Understand the needs of the people in your area, the families living around you and help them in whatever way possible. Do whatever help you can for them. I need to feel even prouder of you. I believe you will do it."
The speech, which went viral on social media, prompted netizens to comment that the Om star was all set to make his political debut.
In Tamil Nadu, these remarks by Dhanush echoed the early playbook followed by several actor-politicians where they built an organised fan network; encouraged fans to shift from celebrating films to doing social service; and asked fans to work at the local community level. So was Dhanush really keen on politics?
Sources told NDTV exclusively that Superstar Rajinikanth's former son-in-law was indeed keen on making his political entry. "Yes, he is interested but not immediately. Right now, Dhanush is at the peak of his career, and he is evaluating the pros and cons of entering politics. He will decide over the course of the next few years. The next elections in Tamil Nadu are in 2031, so he still has time to evaluate and strategise," added sources.
Interestingly, in June, when Dhanush's father, filmmaker Kasthuri Raja, was asked at an event if his son would enter politics, he didn't deny the possibility. He added that anyone has the right to enter politics. While Kasthuri Raja never confirmed Dhanush's political entry, he didn't deny it either, which fueled further speculation.
Producer G Dhananjayan shared his thoughts on Tamil actors wanting to join politics and said, "Everyone is welcome in politics. Many Tamil actors have political ambitions, and they want to join politics to serve the people. The success of Vijay in Tamil Nadu politics today has become an inspiration for actors who are contemplating a future in public life." In fact, actor Vishal has repeatedly said on record that he will enter politics but has made no concrete announcement yet.