Dec 05 2011
Dhanush Sing Song
As an actor, Dhanush has greatly leveraged his down-to-earth personality to find success. Barring misfires like Pudhukkottaiyilirundhu Saravanan and Sullaan, he has consistently picked roles that feature him as a casual, easygoing hero who the guys in the audience can easily relate to. With his average looks and non-muscular physique, he looks, talks and acts like the proverbial boy next door. Dhamu even highlighted the popularity of Dhanush’s average joe looks when he said “ippo ellam enna madhiri sumaaraana aalunga dhan manmadha raasa-nu solranga” in Gilli.
It wouldn’t be stretch to say that its the same quality that has now brought him tremendous success as a singer. Dhanush has a slightly gruff voice and sings at pretty much the same pitch throughout. But he has selected songs where those traits turn out to be strengths rather than weaknesses. The numbers he has rendered reside somewhere between simple poetry recital and actual singing. Further aiding the down-to-earth nature of the songs are the lyrics which are nowadays penned by him too. The songs are made up mostly of colloquial words so that they sound like everyday conversations that are given a tune and background music. So when he sings Ommela Aasadhaan (rather than Un Mele Aasaidhaan), it actually sounds like a boy expressing his desire to his girlfriend and when he says Mokka Piece Kooda Kindal Pannudhu, they are the exact words that would be used by a boy expressing his frustration to his close friend.
Both the aforementioned qualities – Dhanush’s casual personality and the kind of songs he chooses to sing – went in to making Why this kolaveri-di the rage that it has become today. The song has a very simple tune but that simplicity makes it instantly catchy and impossible not to start humming once we have heard it. The lyrics again are simple and never rise above the level of a nursery rhyme. The combination of the easy tune and the light lyrics ensure that anyone can sing it. The impact of the song’s video can’t be discounted either. Dhanush is so thoroughly enjoying singing that, despite the song’s theme of love failure, we keep smiling throughout.
The widest smile right now must be on Aishwarya Dhanush’s face as the song has brought her movie 3 publicity beyond her wildest dreams. But we know very well that the hype surrounding a movie is a double-edged sword. So the movie better be good so that the viewers don’t walk out directing the song at her!
17 responses so far
What a coincidence.. am profiling Dhanush for next week’s column… I like the fact that success rides so lightly on his shoulder…
Your last sentence – warning message- is funny.
Sreela.
This song is increadbly catchy. I downloaded it yday and it’s currently my default tune. Loving Danush now.
I am such a fan of that song and have listened to about 10 to 12 different versions of it including a rebuttal.. It is incredibly catchy and the lyrics are so down to earth.. Dhanush always comes across as a local boy and unpretentious and that is his success to a certain extent. He connects with the regular folks vs. someone like Kamal who rides on his high falutin’ Yankee drawls in almost all his movies.. The posters of the movie are also quite intriguing and the facial expressions of the 3 guys in the poster is very unusual and quite impressive. Waiting to see it…
he also did pudhuppettai, where he was a don dada bashing swarms of villains frankly i avoid dhanush movies out of fear that he will take off his shirt and do faux martial arts moves yet again.
“average looks and non-muscular physique” is marvelously tactful.
Dhanush may be thin but he’s quite good looking, imo. Loving the song…
Great writeup Balaji.
Your last line is ingenious and I worry about the burden that Aishwarya is now carrying.. it’s far far bigger than anything she may have imagined! But then, with the D man and her experience serving as Selva’s assistant and watching her dad, it should all come together nicely.
I haven’t had so much fun as during the Endhiran release on Facebook until the past two weeks. I’ve really had a ball putting up all the Kolaveri videos and links.. The Dude Dhanush rocks and if anybody had any ranklings (which I’m sure Rajini may have had when Aishwarya got married to him, after all, she is older than him!) about him, all of it has been laid to rest with this. The man has shown Rajini and everybody else in this world what he is truly made of!
Who’s there?!.. Bring out that Grammy Nomination, please?!.. I know it’s coming!
Meera, yes he seems to share that with his father-in-law
Looking fwd to you article.
sreela, thanx!
Suresh, just yesterday?! I’ve been listening to it ever since it first hit youtube.
Krithika, I liked the posters with Dhanush and Shruti. They were very tastefully done. So far Aishwarya has done everything right. Definitely looking fwd to the film.
killer, ‘Pudhupettai’ was a gritty, realistic film where Dhanush managed to make his character work. So I wouldn’t place it in the same masala category as PS or Sullaan.
anon, thanx! I’ve heard phrases like likeable, cheerful, casual, etc. wrt Dhanush but I’ve to admit that this is the first time I’ve heard someone say that Dhanush is good-looking
Sandya, the song’s popularity has really heightened the film’s hype and now the whole of India will be looking at it. So the pressure on Aishwarya is immense. But she does have those things u mention on her side. still I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
Enjoyed your links and posts on Kolaveri. I think the Sivaji mix and Naveen Nigam’s rendition are my favorites so far.
a scrawny guy bashes up a swarm of villains and that is a realistic movie?
a poor woman finds a baby in the trash and refuses to take the pile of money with the baby and that’s a realistic movie?
not to mention the martials arts training, which is bordering on fantasy.
i think that anon must be dhanush’s mom, because no one else thinks dhanush is good-looking, not even dhanush himself.
BB, very nice post on the “kolaveri” wave…yes, the tune is instantly catchy…
I agree with you on Danush and how he has chosen the right roles that suit his physique and looks…he’s improved leaps and bounds with his subtle expressions (the scene in Mayakam Ena where he checks out the newspaper article on the balcony was priceless) and dialogue delivery. He also seems to have his head firmly on his shoulders. That helps the Endearment quotient!
you were surprised that anon called him “quite good-looking.” Check out Balu Mahendra’s comment on Danush in a Neeya Naana episode. He called the latter “lanky” and “handsome.” That’s right. Handsome! Danush, Mokka Piece No More!
killer – why this kolaveri?
just kidding – lol @ Danush’s mom comment
Dhanush, to be kind, is uglier than Vijay and that says a lot.He has been in some good films but that doesn’t make him a great actor.Also, association with the Rajni family doesnt hurt at all. In fact It increases the hype factor for the trash he delivers, like this Kolaveri song
Kumar, it’s now my turn to ask Asura, why this kolaveri?
Here’s a perspective from the man with the most kolaveri – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9uwkwauakI
Asura, idhuku peru dhaan asura-kolaveri a? it’s a fun song. chillax pa
killer, I do think Dhanush made it believable when he took on the others in the fight sequences. But when I said realistic, I mean the film’s setting, style, etc. as opposed to commercial, masala films.
ram, there were quite a few scenes in Mayakkam Enna where he conveyed a lot through his eyes and expressions. He’s definitely grown a lot as an actor and Selva brought out the best in him again.
Asura, I think he’s a good actor not because he’s been in some good films but because he’s actually performed well in those good films. He was terrific in Pudhupettai, Aadukalam and Mayakkam Enna and elevated the characters he played.
@Balaji I’ve only been listening it to it since 3 days ago. But I’ve added like 300 views to it. Sometimes its about timing (like comedy), and other times its about quantity
And I agree that Selvaraghavan does bring out the best in Danush. And I haven’t watched a single one of his masala movies which I am very thankful for.
What is 3 about? Having good songs does not make a good movie. But it might ensure a pretty solid box-office opening.