Actor-director Kasthuri Raja, who is currently awaiting the release of Habeebi, has opened up about the unexpected chain of events that led to his son Dhanush making his acting debut in Thulluvadho Ilamai, revealing that neither he nor the family initially imagined cinema for him.
In an exclusive interview with CE, Kasthuri Raja recalled that casting Dhanush was never part of a long-term plan but rather a decision born out of necessity while making the 2002 coming-of-age drama. “At that time, life was running in a certain direction. Making that film became necessary,” Kasthuri Raja said.
The filmmaker revealed that the team had auditioned around 50 to 60 boys for the lead role but could not find someone who fit. It was only then that he unexpectedly looked at his own son differently. “We saw around 50–60 boys. Nobody suited the role. Suddenly, this boy crossed my path, and I thought, ‘Don’t we already have a boy at home?’ Only then did it occur to me,” he said.
Kasthuri Raja recounted that Dhanush, then still Venkatesh Prabhu at home, had no interest in acting and was not even informed immediately about what awaited him. “I told him, ‘Come, I’ll drop you at school,’ and took him straight to the shooting spot,” he said with a laugh. The reaction, however, was far from excitement. “He cried there. He said, ‘I won’t do this… why did you bring me here?’”
According to Kasthuri Raja, he convinced his son with a simple promise—that acting would end with the film. “There was a 60-day holiday period. I told him, ‘Your father has a lot of debts. Let’s finish this film, and after that you never have to act again.’” The filmmaker emphasised that there was no ambition to launch Dhanush into cinema at the time. “I didn’t have an aim to make him an actor, and he had no interest in acting either. The only aim was to complete the film,” he said.
Kasthuri Raja further revealed that the decision was unpopular within the family and said everyone feared it would affect Dhanush’s future. “When I decided to make him act, the entire family was against me—including Dhanush. Nobody liked the idea. Everyone said, ‘You’ve closed off his life.’”
More than two decades later, Dhanush has emerged as one of Indian cinema’s most celebrated actors, with multiple National Awards and recognition across industries. Reflecting on that journey, Kasthuri Raja admitted he never anticipated the scale of his son’s talent. “Even I didn’t know then that he had this much talent inside him,” he said.
However, he credited his elder son, filmmaker Selvaraghavan, for shaping Dhanush into the performer he became. “Selva’s technique and his ability created him. Definitely, if there wasn’t a person called Selva, there would be no Dhanush today—and none of us. He is Selva’s creation,” Kasthuri Raja said.
Thulluvadho Ilamai, directed by Kasthuri Raja and written by Selvaraghavan, marked Dhanush’s acting debut in 2002 and went on to become a breakthrough film.
