Tamil actor Dhanush's new plush house in Poes Garden, Teynampet, Chennai, has sparked discussions online since he hosted a housewarming party and soon moved there last year. Valued at approximately Rs 150 crore, the bungalow is situated near the residences of superstar Rajinikanth and the late former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa. Recently, Dhanush addressed the debate surrounding his ownership of such an extravagant property and shared a personal story from his early years that inspired him to acquire a home in this elite locality.
During the audio launch event of his upcoming film Raayan, Dhanush said, "If I knew buying a house in Poes Garden would have become such a big topic of conversation, I would have got a small apartment instead. Should a person like me not buy a house in Poes Garden? Should a person who was born on the streets remain living there till the end of their life?"
He added, "There is a small anecdote behind buying a house in Poes Garden. One day, when I was 16 and roaming around with my friend on a bike, I wished to see Thalaivar's (Rajinikanth) house. With the help of passersby and police officers, we spotted his place, saw it happily and left. While returning on the bike, we saw a huge crowd on the other side, though Thalaivar's house was on this side. When asked, people said that it was Jayalalithaa's house. I looked at both houses. At that moment, I desire bloomed in my mind; a desire to own at least a small house in Poes Garden."
"At that time, we were struggling a lot. If Thulluvadho Ilamai (which marked Dhanush's debut as an actor and was helmed by his father Kasthuri Raja and penned by his brother Selvaraghavan) didn't succeed, we would have had to start living on the streets. The house I bought in Poes Garden, after working for 20 years, was Dhanush's gift to that 16-year-old Venkatesh Prabhu (his birth name)," Dhanush concluded.
On the work front, Dhanush is immersed in several projects including Raayan, a gangster drama set in North Madras, where he directs and plays the lead role. Simultaneously, he is working on Nilavukku Enmel Ennadi Kobam, a young adult rom-com. Furthermore, Dhanush will also portray music maestro Ilaiyaraaja in his biopic, directed by Arun Matheshwaran. The film is still in its early stages. He will also be seen in Kubera co-starring Rashmika Mandanna.
