With some added questions
This kind of success comes once in 10 years
He might be riding the 'Kolaveri Di' wave, but Dhanush says it's just a phase. And yes, he would like to apologise to Javed Akhtar
Zinia Sen
Kolkata Police is reportedly planning to use "Kolaveri Di" for an awareness campaign...
Wow, that's news to me! The response has been overwhelming. My parents are very happy. My mom is excited. It's just a phase... a very good phase.
There are umpteen versions of the song, some even include current events like Sharad Pawar being slapped. Have you listened to all of them?
I've heard all the versions. This kind of success doesn't come every day. It happens maybe once or twice in 10 years. I'm happy to be passing through this phase. I'm taking it seriously. I've gone through each and every tweet. Personally, I've liked two versions of the song – "Hitler gets angry about" and an R&B version by a guy called Arjun.
Do you think you're the biggest star in India today?
I don't think I'm the biggest star. It's the moment, or rather, the situation, that's worked in my favour. I'm not a deserving candidate, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts.
The song is a part of "3", which is also your wife Aishwarya's debut film as director. With hype like this, you must be sure of a great run at the box office.
The film has a strong script. The screenplay is very different. It's a GenNext attempt to make a mark. About the fate of the film, it's hard to predict anything. I think it would be difficult to match the success of the song, but we'll try and live up to the audience's expectations.
How is Aishwarya taking this success?
Aishwarya took it rather slow. She saw the song breaking boundaries and for a long time, she didn't react. She's still trying to come to terms with it.
And what about your father-in-law, Rajinikanth?
Rajini sir never interferes in my work. But he is happy as well as concerned. Happy because the song is a huge hit; concerned as he's not sure how we'll live up to the expectations. At times, even I wonder how we'll keep this going. Rajini sir was among the first few to have heard the song. He said that it would be a hit regionally, but that it would become such a rage was beyond even his expectations. Are your kids Yatra and Linga excited as well?
My kids are very small. One is four-anda-half, and the other is one-and-a-halfyears-old. The older one understands that I'm an actor. He gets very angry when I'm beaten up on screen. He likes the song and keeps humming a few lines.
You are the youngest Indian actor to have won a National Award for "Aadukalam" this year. Now, there's "Kolaveri Di". Which one of the two has been a bigger high for you?
I'm thankful for this acknowledgement. These days, I'm only referred to as the "Kolaveri Di" boy. To be honest, I'm thankful for both. I went blank after each of them and really don't know which one gave me a greater high. I couldn't have asked for more. On second thoughts, I think the National Award has an edge. That made me really happy, as I'm an actor first. That was indeed huge.
Singing offers must be pouring in right now...
I'm getting quite a lot of offers. But I'd like to be choosy. It's important to choose the tunes as I need something raw to suit my voice. I'm in no rush. Let "Kolaveri Di" run its course.
How about Bollywood?
There are exactly four offers to act in films, one song to lend my voice to and one album to cut. I've said no to the song and the album. About films, I really don't know how to pursue them. I don't know Hindi. The culture, too, is very different. I'm not worried about the acting bit, as any Indian anywhere in the country can do another Indian's job. Also, I'm in no rush. I want to evaluate my strength and weaknesses first before I jump into something as big as Bollywood.
You recently had a meeting with Amitabh Bachchan...
Amitabhji was the first celebrity to have tweeted about my song. One has to give it to him. It was really special the way he appreciated my song and helped popularize it. I thank him and also Abhishek, who is a good friend. They even invited me to the "M:I:4" premiere. We had a good time; went out for dinner and met Amitabhji after that. Big B is so down to earth; he treats everyone like his equal. His blessings did count for a lot.
Amidst all this appreciation, there was some criticism. Javed Akhtar tweeted saying, "Everyone is praising the robes but the emperor is naked. Tune ordinary, singing substandard, words an insult to sensibility." Did that hurt?
Javed Akhtar is a legend. He has been so for so many years. I accept his criticism and I'm also glad that the song has reached his ears. It's a South Indian song and I didn't know it would go on to become a huge hit. I want to say sorry to Javedji, for what he felt, that the song is an insult to sensibility. I accept all that he has said.
A soup song is about men with broken hearts. Have you gone through a failed relationship?
Well,I was dumped once.But that has got nothing to do with the song, trust me. I didn't write or sing "Kolaveri Di" thinking about my first love. Appreciate my honesty, I've been dumped many times by my films later on!
The video was shot at AR Rahman's studio. What did he have to say?
I am yet to hear from him.
Coming to the song, there are references to 'super mama'. Who is he/she?
In Tamil, we refer to friends as mama. It's slang and is meant for the person who plays my friend in the film.
Is there anything about "Kolaveri Di" that the world is yet to know?
Yes, that we are ready with yet another version. There's a little change in the arrangement and we didn't think it was wise to release the song when the other has become such a huge hit. Let the original song run its course commercially. There's still a lot to look forward to, and I would say, very soon.
Dhanush
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