Actor Zeeshan Ayyub recently shared how South Indian star Dhanush prepared for his Bollywood debut in Raanjhanaa. The biggest challenge Dhanush faced? He didn’t know Hindi at all.
To get through the role of Kundan, a passionate boy from Banaras, Dhanush had to learn his dialogues phonetically which means he memorized the sounds of the words without knowing the meaning at first. Writer Himanshu Sharma helped him understand the meaning and tone of each line and coached him in the Banarasi style of speaking.
“It was amazing to see his dedication,” Zeeshan said. “He couldn’t speak Hindi, but still managed to act with emotion and depth. That’s not easy.”
Dhanush didn’t just speak the lines, he felt them. Even though he wasn’t fluent, he delivered a performance that touched audiences across India. His role in Raanjhanaa became iconic, and it proved that with hard work, anyone can overcome big challenges.
Since then, Dhanush has acted in several Hindi films and gained a strong fanbase beyond the South. His journey shows that language can be learned, but true emotion comes from the heart.
