As Dhanush tours the country promoting Tere Ishk Mein with Kriti Sanon and director Aanand L Rai, the actor has been offering fresh insights into his character Shankar, a role he insists has far more depth than intensity.
During a media interaction in Delhi with ANI, Dhanush recalled a remark from Aanand and Kriti that he found unexpectedly flattering. They once told him he carried “the face of a heartbroken man”, a comment he now embraces with amusement. “I have a great love-failure face… the face of a heartbroken man,” he said, choosing to interpret it as a compliment rather than a criticism.
Speaking about the nuances of Shankar, Dhanush described the character as someone audiences will immediately warm to. “Shankar is very easy to like, but he has his very own challenges,” he shared, adding that these complexities were exactly what drew him to the role. For him, the part offered an opportunity to truly work as an actor. “When an actor reads the script and sees these kinds of challenges, he jumps on it. ‘Yes, this is what I have been waiting for.’ I can do something. I do not have to learn the lines, go in front of the camera, say the lines and come back.”
He further clarified that the character’s struggles have nothing to do with anger or aggression. “It is just a good part with a lot of challenge,” he said, hinting that viewers will understand Shankar's emotional journey only after watching the film.
The year has been packed for Dhanush, both on and off screen. He appeared in Sekhar Kammula’s Kuberaa, released in Tamil and Telugu, and also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Idli Kadai. Additionally, he introduced his nephew Pavish through Nilavaku En Mel Ennadi Kobam, which he directed and produced.
Tere Ishk Mein, releasing on November 28, marks Dhanush’s final film outing of the year.
