Dhanush is gearing up to hit the big screens with his upcoming movie Idli Kadai, marking his 4th venture as a director. Ahead of the film’s release, the actor-director was recently spotted at the audio launch event, where he revealed that he had sold idlis as a child to earn money.

However, after netizens called him out, highlighting that his father was a film director, Dhanush responded to the claims and cleared the air once and for all.

Dhanush reacts to his speech about selling idlis as a kid

Speaking at the pre-release event for Idli Kadai, Dhanush said, “Has everyone watched the speech? See, the thing is, I was born in 1983, and my dad became a director in 1991. So, for those 8 years of my life, we were financially struggling.”

The actor continued, “Even after he became a director, it was only by 1995 that we had a better lifestyle. He had 4 kids and had to raise all of them in the same way; it was hard for my father. Now, when you’re a kid, if you ask your parents or grandparents, they won’t give you money easily, right?”

“We were living on a budget. My siblings and I were also aware of our family’s situation. So, during that time, we did menial chores, earned a little money, and bought idlis. That is what I meant,” Dhanush concluded. (translated from Tamil).

For those unaware, Dhanush had opened up about his childhood at the Idli Kadai audio launch event. During his speech, the actor revealed how he struggled in the early days to buy idlis, which sort of served as the inspiration to make the movie.

More about Idli Kadai

Idli Kadai is an upcoming Tamil-language drama movie written, co-produced, and directed by Dhanush. The movie tells the story of Murugan, a chain restaurant employee who returns to his hometown in Tamil Nadu to take over his father’s local idli shop.

With the Kuberaa actor in the lead, the film also stars Nithya Menen, Arun Vijay, Sathyaraj, R. Parthiban, Shalini Pandey, P. Samuthirakani, Rajkiran, Geetha Kailasam, and others in key roles. The movie is slated to release on October 1, 2025.