Had it not been for Yuvan, we would have been on the streets: Dhanush

Actor Dhanush has said that he and his family will always be indebted to music director Yuvan Shankar Raja.

Speaking at the Maari 2 press conference which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Chennai on Tuesday, Dhanush said, “When I was working on Thulluvado Illamai, Selva sir and Yuvan sir were the ones who were very close. At that point, Yuvan was someone who I would look up to in admiration. He was a happening music director then itself. Selva sir and Yuvan sir would often go out together. Selva sir would sometimes say, ‘This is my younger brother. Let him also accompany us.’ Yuvan would reply, ‘Ask him to come along.’ I would admire him from a distance. He was such a happening dude. He was a hero with a bindaas attitude.

“I have already said this but I am duty bound to say this again. Thulluvadho Illamai was a film without an identity because it had six youngsters – new comers. It was Yuvan’s music that gave it its identity. Had it not been for his music, that film would not have got the opening it got. And if that film hadn’t run, we would have really been on the streets. We were in that situation on that day. So, we are greatly indebted to Yuvan.

“I believe my basement is strong. If my filmmaking skills are strong, all credit must go to Selvaraghavan because he taught me the A B Cs of filmmaking. Similarly, one of the most important reasons why Thulluvadho Illamai and Kadhal Konden got an opening and went on to become superhits was because of Yuvan sir’s music and his background score.

“So, Yuvan has a big part in forming that basement for me. Today, when he says, ‘I needed a push and Maari 2 gave me that push.’ I can’t understand what that means.

“I am okay with saying what I am going to say next even if it is going to offend some people because this is the truth. From the late nineties, Yuvan has been scoring music for the last 22 or 23 years. That is over two decades. Names keep changing on the opposite side but this side, Yuvan’s name has remained constant. Even if this offends some people, I am willing to apologize for it here itself but that is a fact.”