Pa. Pandi was not to prove a point to anybody: Dhanush

For someone who didn’t even want to become an actor, Dhanush has come a really long way. He started off as an actor, turned singer, lyricist, producer and now, a director. Give that he is receiving plenty of love from his fans and critics for his debut directorial, Pa. Pandi, Dhanush says he’s enjoying every bit of this phase. While he has been vocal about turning director for quite some time, the actor says that he took several short films before taking the plunge. “I have wanted to direct for quite some time, but I wanted to be ready and know what I am doing. I wanted to know the basics. I made 17 short films to try and understand the craft by making mistakes. But this doesn’t mean that I am ready now… I still feel I am not ready yet, but sometimes, you just need to have blind faith and take the plunge. I think I just did that,” begins Dhanush.

But the fun part, during the learning process, was to get everyone around him to act in his shorts. “I got my staff and relatives to act. I even made a film with Selva (his brother, Selvaraghavan) in the lead! It was more like a fun hobby. But, of course, silently, I was also editing what I shot and learnt my craft,” he adds.

So, how difficult was the casting process? Did he have Rajkiran in mind even while writing the script? “No. Once I finished writing the script, I couldn’t find my Pandi. It was actually little difficult to cast for the role. One fine day, when I was shooting for

Vada Chennai

, Raj Kiran’s name just popped into my head. When I later thought about the role with him in mind, I felt the character was tailor-made for him. So, I approached him, and he really loved the script,” smiles Dhanush. What about

Revathy

? “She hasn’t been acting for a while, but she agreed to do the film. There was no ‘Dhanush factor’ here. It was not like she did it for me or anything. She liked the script and that’s why decided to do it,” he says.

Overwhelmed with the response he’s been getting, Dhanush says, “It is so nice to get so many compliments from fans and people from within the industry. It definitely gave me a high receiving good wishes from big names. When I started this project, it was not to prove a point to anybody. I just wanted to tell a story. From the reaction that I am getting so far, I think I have done it well. But Selva hasn’t seen the film yet! I am waiting for his reaction.” Does he have a sequel in mind? “I would be lying if I said no. I have an idea for Pa. Pandi 2, but I don’t know when it will happen, or if it will happen at all. Right now, I am just enjoying this phase,” he says.

There are also reports that he’s been offered a Hindi project to direct. He adds, “Not just Hindi, but even a few Tamil films as well. Right now, I want to take it easy. My mind is quite blank at present. I am not in a hurry to direct. When the right story finds me, I will announce my next. But I write almost every day.”

As much as he’s basking in this happiness, Dhanush says that he never thought he would reach this position. He says, “I didn’t think I would come this far. I just put my head down and did my job without thinking of anything. I worked very hard as acting did not come easily to me. I have to give it to luck as well, as it played a major part in my journey. By luck, I mean meeting the right people at the right time, and getting the right script at the right time. And of course, the blessings of my parents and all the good karma they have gathered for me.”

Do the ups and down in his career affect him even today? “There is always something to learn. It definitely affects me when I hear my film didn’t do well. In my 17-year-long career, I have seen so much. I don’t get worked up or panic now, but it does affect me. I immediately shrug the disappointment off and learn as much as possible from that, and try not to repeat the same mistake. And during my introspection, I like to sit alone and run things through my head about what went wrong instead of discussing it with people,” says Dhanush.

Having begun shooting for Vada Chennai, the actor says that he’s extremely kicked about the project. He’s also excited about VIP 2, which is ready to hit the screens. He says, “There were certain elements in the first film — it spoke about the struggle of engineering graduates, the lead character rode a Luna, there was a dog called Harry Potter! The sequel will not have those elements, so the comparison won’t work in favour of VIP 2. But it has its own elements and I am sure it will be as as entertaining, exciting and successful as VIP.”

The actor is now gearing up for the shoot of his

Hollywood

film, which is all set to happen next month. “We will begin shooting for the film from May 14 in Mumbai. We will also be heading to Brussels, Rome, Paris and other parts of Europe for the shoot. I am not allowed to speak anything about it. But since everyone knows that it is based on the best-selling novel, people must have an idea on what the film will be all about. The reason I am doing this film is that I want to understand more about cinema, filmmaking and how things work there. The process has already begun and I am very excited about it,” he smiles. He also puts to rest the rumour that his film with

Karthik Subburaj

has been dropped. Its shoot will begin by October, he says, adding, “I want my films to be classy and massy. It is a conscious decision. I am trying to find a balance. My films should be a mix of every genre. I have been having that mix in my films since 2006. I think I am close to where I wanted to be.”

As much as he’s praised for his work, Dhanush is often criticised on social media when it comes to his personal life. He’s been trolled so much that he often finds himself in difficult situations. Even during the recent paternity case, he chose to remain silent all through the entire controversy. He says, “I have work to do. This is something which I have tried to tell in Pa. Pandi, too. In our lives, happiness and sadness, good and bad, peace and chaos, positivity and negativity are all around us. They are inside us. We can choose what we want to. And, I choose positivity. I don’t want to speak about anything. Probably, it is this maturity that has made me stay calm.”