The actor picked up Best Actor honours in Delhi as Raayan took Best Tamil Film, then posted a viral photo with his sons thanking fans for the win.
Dhanush picked up his third National Film Award this week, named Best Actor for Captain Miller at the 72nd National Film Awards ceremony in Delhi. Raayan, which he headlined, was named Best Tamil Film at the same event.
He wasn't the only one from the film's camp walking away with a trophy. Amaran and Meiyazhagan also picked up honours, and composer GV Prakash was recognised too. Amaran director Rajkumar Periyasamy was at the ceremony to collect his award in person.
After the event, Dhanush posted photos on Instagram posing with his two sons, and the post has gone properly viral since. In the caption, he wrote that people shouldn't feel bad even if someone else takes what they thought was theirs, and that his heart stays full of gratitude. "This is for my fans," he wrote, calling them the pillar of his strength.
The win comes with some baggage attached. When the 72nd National Film Awards were announced last month, a section of social media users argued Dhanush didn't deserve the recognition, pointing to what they felt were stronger Tamil contenders that year. Dhanush addressed the criticism at a public event before the Delhi ceremony, and didn't hold back.
He said he'd expected National Awards for films like Mayakkam Enna and 3 back when they released, and that those never came. Nobody asked why not, back then, he pointed out. It read like a pointed rebuttal, and it seemed to work. The louder complaints around this year's list quietened down after that.
Dhanush's National Award résumé now runs to three: Aadukalam, Asuran, and now Captain Miller. Among Tamil actors, only Kamal Haasan has won more, and that history is part of why this particular win carries extra weight in industry circles.
His next release is Om, directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy, due in theatres in October. Mammootty plays a significant role in the film, which will be Dhanush's first major outing since the awards buzz. Whether the National Award recognition translates into extra footfall for Om remains to be seen, but the timing certainly doesn't hurt.
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