Dhanush and his quest for knowledge

Last we caught up with superstar Dhanush in Cannes on Friday — at the poster launch of his first international Indo-French co-production, The Extraordinary Journey of the Fakir — he seemed anxious about walking the red carpet. “It’s not my thing. I don’t know the dos and don’ts. I don’t even like being in front of the still camera,” he said. Having done it on Friday evening he looked relaxed in his short interaction with The Hindu at the India Pavilion in Cannes Film Market on Saturday. “There’s always a first time,” he smiled. With more events lined up till he heads back to the country on Sunday, the actor would hardly have time to watch films or explore the French Riviera. “Probably next year,” he said.

Having been the king of his own world, had Dhanush worked on and planned this international move? “I had my concerns but was very confident about it deep down,” he looks back. He says that he went ahead with the film because it felt like a great opportunity to learn and explore. It was about travelling to different countries (the film was shot over 45-50 days in Paris, Rome, Brussels and India), working with different actors and learning from their craft and method. “It was great to witness so many histories and cultures while working on the film,” he said adding that he made his co-actor Bérénice Bejo learn a few steps too in a dance number composed by Amit Trivedi.

With the film having been snatched up in 100 different countries already, Dhanush considers it a significant landmark of his career. “I feel happy and blessed. There are so many more gifted actors and better talent but I got this opportunity,” he said, adding, “It will help me understand world cinema and the world market. It will help me recognise the possibilities of what all one can do with the art form.”

The clinching factor, that made him say yes to the project was the story, which Dhanush thinks needs to be told and it revolves around his character, Ajatshatru. “It’s not about what role you play but how you play it,” he says. He thinks his entry into the world market is same as moving to Bollywood from Tamil cinema earlier. “You feel like a newcomer, you start from scratch in a new world,” he said.

For him it’s important to keep learning all the while. “That’s my strength. Whenever we feel we know it all a new talent or incident makes us feel small,” he says. “There is always so much more to learn and do,” he says. The actor had to be hard on himself because he was never trained to be an actor and took to the profession for sheer survival. It was sweet then for him to see young French women fans of his, dressed up in saris and all the finery to meet him: “It’s overwhelming to be loved so unconditionally,” he said.