Dhanush Answers Critics of His Two National Awards

Dhanush won two honours at the 72nd National Film Awards: Best Tamil Feature Film for Raayan, which he directed and starred in, and a Special Mention for his acting in Captain Miller. On July 26 he told an event audience there were better Tamil films than his that year. Here is what he said and what the awards list shows.

What he won

The Press Information Bureau list names Raayan, produced by Sun Pictures with Dhanush as director, as Best Tamil Feature Film, a Rajat Kamal with Rs 2 lakh to each of the producer and director. Under Special Mention, it lists Dhanush as actor for Captain Miller, which carries a certificate only. Captain Miller, directed by Arun Matheswaran, also won Best Feature Film Promoting National, Social and Environmental Values.

The row

Hindustan Times reported that the Best Tamil Film award for Raayan drew the most controversy. It says many people believed Meiyazhagan, with Karthi and Arvind Swami, and Maharaja, with Vijay Sethupathi and Anurag Kashyap, were better 2024 films than Raayan, which received mixed reviews. It adds that many also felt the actors in those films deserved a special mention more than Dhanush.

Wikipedia's page on Raayan says the film grossed over Rs 160 crore worldwide, was among the highest-grossing Tamil films of 2024 and received mixed reviews. Maharaja did win a National Award, for Best Supporting Actress for Sachana Namidass and Best Stunt Choreography for Anal Arasu, according to the awards list.

What Dhanush said

At an event on a Sunday, which Hindustan Times dates to July 26, he said, "For Raayan, I got a National Film Award. That year, there were definitely better films than that one. The fans of those films expressed their love, and I fully respect them." He did not name the films.

He then listed films for which he said he had been told he would win and did not, among them Adhu Oru Kana Kaalam, Pudhupettai, 3, Mayakkam Enna, Vada Chennai, Karnan, Maryan and Raanjhanaa. He also said, "Some things simply fall into place on their own, no matter how hard you try; that is exactly how it happened for me. I got the opportunity. Regardless of how the film itself turned out, the effort I put into it was genuine. As a Tamilian, I have received two more National Awards; don't brush this aside, celebrate it."

In a written note after the announcement, quoted by Hindustan Times, he said, "This is my third National Award as an actor and my first National Award as a director." He added that the Captain Miller recognition was especially close to his heart because he has always believed it to be his finest performance, and called winning as a director for Raayan a blessing.

The film he directed

Wikipedia describes Raayan as a neo-noir action thriller written and directed by Dhanush, his 50th film as a lead actor. It follows a food truck owner in North Chennai who tries to protect his family when they are pulled into a war between two gangs. A. R. Rahman composed the music, and the cast includes Dushara Vijayan, S. J. Suryah, Sundeep Kishan and Prakash Raj.

Why it matters

National Awards tend to be debated, and the Tamil Best Film category has now produced a public statement from the winner himself acknowledging the competition. The jury's reasoning has not been published in the sources we read, so the debate rests on opinions rather than on any stated criteria.

What we could not confirm

We could not confirm the jury's reasons for either award. We read the Hindustan Times report in full and the News18, India Today and Times of India pieces through search summaries. Wikipedia's profile of Dhanush gives a different count of National Awards than his own note, and we have used only his note. We have not seen either film.

Sources

*Cover photo: President's Secretariat, Wikimedia Commons, *[*https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dhanush_for_the_Best_Actor.jpg*](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dhanush_for_the_Best_Actor.jpg)* (GODL-India).*