Tamil actor Dhanush found himself at the centre of controversy ever since the National Film Awards were announced. He received a special mention as Best Actor for his performance in Captain Miller, but it was the Best Tamil Film award for his directorial Raayan that caused the most controversy. Breaking the silence at an event, the actor admitted that there were better Tamil films than his in 2024, and he also slammed those criticising him.
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Dhanush attended an event on Sunday where he spoke about the criticism over his National Award win. Getting candid on stage, he said, “For Raayan, I got a National Film Award. That year, there were definitely better films than that one. The fans of those films expressed their love, and I fully respect them,” without naming the films.
He then went on to list every time he made good films and lost out on winning National Awards. “Now Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam was released very long ago. They said I would definitely win an award for it. I was so young that I had hoped for it too, but I didn’t. Then there’s Pudhupettai…” he said before being interrupted by deafening cheers.
“You all told me I’d win again, but I didn’t,” he added before listing out his films: 3, Mayakkam Enna, Vada Chennai, Karnan, Maryan and Raanjhanaa and had to stop due to deafening cheers again.
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In a note after his win, Dhanush wrote about why these awards were special to him. “This is my third National Award as an actor and my first National Award as a director.” He also added, “This recognition for Captain Miller is especially close to my heart because I have always believed it to be my finest performance to date. Receiving a Special Mention for a performance I hold so dearly makes this honour even more meaningful. And a first is always unforgettable. Winning my very first National Award as a Director for Raayan is a blessing I will cherish forever.”
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Dhanush continued while urging those criticising him to celebrate him too. He said, “Some things simply fall into place on their own, no matter how hard you try; that is exactly how it happened for me. I got the opportunity. Regardless of how the film itself turned out, the effort I put into it was genuine. As a Tamilian, I have received two more National Awards; don’t brush this aside, celebrate it.”
He then brought up Ajith Kumar’s dialogue and added, “Just like our Thala Ajith Sir said, no one can defeat you until you admit defeat yourself. What do you say, baby? If you’re bad, I’m your dad.” Someone from the crowd also claimed on X that Dhanush stated that not even 10% of the 90% opposing his awards had supported him when he deserved them for good films.
Dhanush has faced criticism since the announcement of the awards, as many believed Karthi- and Arvind Swami-starrer Meiyazhagan and Vijay Sethupathi- and Anurag Kashyap-starrer Maharaja were better 2024 films than Raayan, which received mixed reviews. Many also believed that the actors in these films deserved special mention over Dhanush for Captain Miller.
