Kolaveri Di Dhanush signs first Hindi film

Aanand L Rai will direct the Kolaveri Di singer in his next film, set against the backdrop of Banaras

Director Aanand L Rai has signed Tamil actor Dhanush for his film. He says, "For the past six months, I've been looking for a simple boy to play the lead in Raanjhnaa. My requirement was a man who could look vulnerable on screen. When I saw Dhanush in the Tamil film Aadukalam (for which he won the National award), I liked him immediately. He looks very ordinary and honest, and that was the demand of the character."

Dhanush doesn't know Hindi; won't language be a problem? Dhanush says, "The problem is not language. It's culture. I will learn the culture and the language will come automatically."

Rai adds that he's not worried about it. "The film is an intense love story. Just like my film Tanu Weds Manu, the film and its characters will take you to Delhi, Punjab, Chennai, etc."

When quizzed about why he chose Raanjhnaa as his first Hindi film, Dhanush says, "The passion Aanand had for the script and his reasons why only I could do this film convinced me. I liked the fact that he wanted me in the film even before Kolaveri Di happened. It's a big deal to get a launch like this at the beginning of my career here. Aanand's script is different from regular cinema; it's one of those 'made to make a difference' kind of films." Dhanush says he'd never visited Banaras before signing this film. "I felt ashamed when I went there with Aanand for the first time. I didn't know anything about it, and it's in my country! I didn't understand the language, the culture...but I was fascinated by its beauty and divinity. I'm planning to hire a coach and have also bought a book to learn Hindi. I am sure by the time the shoot gets over, I will communicate fluently in it."