Tamil star Dhanush has won six National Awards in his career. He recently won his first award for direction when his film Raayan received the Best Tamil Film award. The actor-filmmaker returned to Chennai from Gujarat on Wednesday, and the first thing he did was make his mother, Vijayalakshmi, wear his medal.
He also remarked on how he does it all for her smile.
After the awards were announced, there was criticism over Dhanush winning awards for Raayan and Captain Miller, which are not considered his best work. He also added, “Now Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam was released very long ago. At an event in June, he defended his win , saying, “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. I was so young that I had hoped for it too, but I didn’t.
He also listed the awards he missed for good films like 3, Mayakkam Enna, Vada Chennai, Karnan, Maryan, and Raanjhanaa.
They said I would definitely win an award for it. Then there’s Pudhupettai…You all told me I’d win again, but I didn’t.
Dhanush first won the National Award in 2011 as Best Actor for Aadukalam. In 2015, he produced Kaaka Muttai, which won Best Children’s Film. In 2016, his produced film Visaranai won Best Tamil Film. In 2021, he won another Best Actor for Asuran. And now, in 2026, his directorial Raayan won the Best Tamil Film award, while he received a Special Mention for his performance in Captain Miller.
Once home, he made his mother wear his hard-won medal. He was all smiles as he interacted with the paparazzi waiting there.
Posting a picture of Vijayalakshmi smiling widely as she sits with the medal around her neck, Dhanush wrote, “All for that smile,” with heart emojis. On Wednesday, Dhanush was spotted at Chennai airport, returning from the National Award ceremony in Gujarat.
