Dhanush’s quirky tune ‘Why This Kolaveri Di’ turned into a global hit no one saw coming.
Celebrated actor, filmmaker, lyricist, and playback singer Dhanush, who predominantly works in Tamil cinema, turns 42 today. He made his debut in 2002 with ‘Thulluvadho Ilamai’, a film directed by his father, Kasthur Raja. Over the years, Dhanush has acted in more than 50 films, lent his voice to over 50 songs, and penned lyrics for more than 40 tracks. Interestingly, he initially aspired to study Hotel Management and become a chef. However, it was his elder brother, filmmaker Selvaraghavan, who encouraged him to pursue acting.
From a culinary dreamer to a celebrated performer, Dhanush rose to national fame in 2011 with the viral hit ‘Why This Kolaveri Di.’ As he celebrates his birthday today, let’s revisit how this quirky track came into existence and became a global sensation.
More than 12 years have passed since ‘Why This Kolaveri Di?’ took the internet by storm, yet Dhanush is still often asked about the iconic song. Featured in the 2012 Tamil psychological thriller film ‘3’, which starred Dhanush and Shruti Haasan, the track was written and sung by Dhanush and composed by debutant Anirudh Ravichander.
As per Anirudh, the film’s director, Aishwarya R. Dhanush, had requested a playful song capturing the pain of a love failure. The tune came together in just about 10 minutes, and Dhanush penned the quirky lyrics after a brief 20-minute brainstorming session.
In a later interview, Dhanush recalled how the song was created late at night and almost forgotten by morning. “We found an icon on the computer screen saying Kolaveri Di. We opened it, and then it hit us—oh, we made this. We made it and forgot about it. We found it funny, but we never thought it would be such a big sensation. These things, you can’t plan. God should consider you worthy.”
‘Why This Kolaveri Di?’ was officially released on November 16, 2011, but its journey to fame began even before that—thanks to an accidental leak online. The song quickly gained traction on social media for its quirky ‘Tanglish’ lyrics, a playful blend of Tamil and English. Dhanush, who wrote the lyrics, explained, “When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. Words like I, you, me, how, why, cow. I just framed them into sentences and that's how I came up with the song.”
The track quickly became India’s most searched video on YouTube and an internet sensation across Asia. Within just a week of its release, it racked up over 3.5 million views. YouTube soon recognized it with a ‘Recently Most Popular’ Gold Medal and a ‘Trending’ Silver Medal for its rapid surge in popularity. To date, the song and its various versions have crossed over 200 million views on the platform. It also became the top-downloaded mobile song in India, hitting 4.1 million downloads in just 18 days.
(Credit: Wikipedia)
Its infectious Tanglish lyrics, humorous yet relatable take on heartbreak, and casual, offbeat vibe struck a chord with audiences worldwide. The song’s success was so phenomenal that Dhanush was invited for the dinner party by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as a ‘Guest of Honour.’
His deep baritone and the song’s catchy simplicity turned it into a pop culture moment that continues to be cherished and hummed even today.
