Dhanush Defends Childhood Struggles, Recalls Selling Flowers for Idlis

In the weeks leading up to the October 1st release of his film Idli Kadai, actor Dhanush has addressed recent online criticism questioning the authenticity of the childhood hardships he had shared during the film's promotion. The slice-of-life drama reflects the protagonist's return to revive his father's modest idli shop.

Dhanush clarified that his family faced financial difficulties for the first eight years of his life, until his father became a director in 1991. Even then, with four children to support, money was tight. Dhanush and his siblings understood the situation and would not ask their parents for money, instead working in the fields to earn their own. He fondly remembered collecting flowers and selling them to afford the 4-5 idlis they would buy from the local idli shop each day, a memory that inspired the film.

Idli Kadai also stars Rajkiran, Nithya Menen, Arun Vijay, Sathyaraj, and Shalini Pandey. The film was initially scheduled for release on April 10 but has now been postponed to October 1.