The many faces of Dhanush

Dhanush is now the toast of the town – and not just in the south Indian film industry but also in Bollywood, where he has effortlessly proved his reservoir of talent with a fascinating performance in the recent Shamitabh, sharing screen space with Amitabh Bachchan.

Playing a mute actor, Dhanush simply stepped up the game performing with total abandon and sinking into the character’s shades.

Now, it is time for some good old fun – and that comes in the form of Anegan by cinematographer-director KV Anand.

Anegan marks the first time that the two are joining hands, and expectations are sky-high following the phenomenal response to the trailer, which intelligently refuses to divulge anything about the movie.

Whether Anegan is a fantasy fare will be unspooled today as the film hits the theatre circuit in the UAE, but what it conclusively promises is some unabashed funfare with Dhanush turning up in different guises. The film’s crew vouches that these different looks are not just make-up gimmicks but an essential part of the character evolution. Well, surprise us, is all we can say for now.

Anegan also has another ace up its sleeve – and that comes in the form of yesteryear superstar Karthik, who has been trying to make an impressive comeback. What Mani Ratnam failed in delivering through Ravanan in terms of re-establishing the actor might now be fulfilled by Anand.

However, the challenge now is whether Anand can indeed deliver the goods. He came with great promise with the thrilling Kana Kandaen that presented Prithviraj in a villainous role, and then with the captivating Ayan, starring Suriya, which earned Anand a best director nomination.

Since then his career has gone rather downhill. Ko, with Jiiva, stretched logic to ridiculous extents, while Maattraan with Suriya in a double-role was too contrived to be taken seriously.

Anegan, therefore, becomes as much a comeback bid for Anand to establish his creative credentials. However, he has a safe bet in Dhanush, who joins an ensemble cast including Ashish Vidyarthi, Amyra Dastur and Aishwarya Devan. With music by Harris Jayaraj, some of the songs already chart-busters, there is a lot going for the film. Will it deliver on its promise? The verdict will be out today.