He is a National Award winning actor, who has proved his mettle in both Tamil and Hindi cinema. And now, Dhanush is eager to make a mark in the West with his international film debut. BT caught up with the actor in Mumbai as he was wrapping up the first schedule of his English movie and got him talking about venturing into an uncharted territory, working opposite Kajol in a Tamil film and also producing superstar Rajinikanth's next. Excerpts...

The Extraordinary Journey Of The Fakir is your first international film. What made you say yes to the project?
I got a call from the makers two-and-a-half years ago and they were confident that I would be able to pull this role off. Later, I got to know that Aditi (Anand, one of the producers) had suggested my name. She sent me the script and once I read it, I gave my nod. It's a beautiful story and I am sure that everybody will be able to relate to my character, Aja. The narrative has a lot of warmth, emotion, romance and also a certain element of fun. It's rare to get such roles.

Indian actors like Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone and Irrfan have made quite a splash in Hollywood. It's your turn now...
Well, I am looking at it as an opportunity to learn more. I also want to understand filmmaking from a technical perspective. Being part of an international film is similar, yet different from working in our movies.

Your upcoming Tamil project, which is also being produced by you, is rather interesting. It will see you sharing screen space with Kajol for the first time. What made you choose her?
It is a great honour to work with Kajol ma'am. The character she essays requires a lot of swag and charisma. So, we were looking for somebody who had a majestic air, and we couldn't think of anybody other than her. We were bowled over by her energy and the way she handled the character.

Kajol is doing a Tamil film for the second time, while you have done films in Hindi. As actors, is not being fluent in a language a barrier?
Ideally, language shouldn't be a barrier, but acting in a language you don't know can be tough. As an actor, my mantra is very simple - I just shut up and listen to the director. And when I am directing, I let the actors discuss what they have in mind regarding a particular scene. If it's better than what I had thought, I take that into consideration, but if it's otherwise, I politely decline.

Considering the fact that you were appreciated for your Hindi films (Raanjhanaa and Shamitabh), why aren't we seeing more of you in Bollywood? Is there a paucity of good scripts?
Many good scripts came my way, but I am waiting for a role that will be unique; the character should suit me and my limitations. I don't want to do a Hindi film just for the sake of doing it. That said, I will be doing a Bollywood film soon.

How do you like being referred to as a star or an actor? Tamil stars are usually treated like demigods...
I like being called both; I'll be lying if I said I don't want to be both. I have worked hard for almost 17 years to be where I am today. I have sacrificed a lot, including the time I could have spent with my family and children. You can call it cheap thrills, but I want to be a star and also be appreciated for pulling off great performances.

You are a National Award winning actor. Which film did you enjoy working on the most and why?
My favourite is a Tamil film, Maari, that I did a couple of years ago. I played a notorious don, who beats up everybody and bosses them around. However, there was certain silliness and playfulness about him. We all have some notions about gangsters, but this film broke all such stereotypes. I wore shirts with flower pat terns and John Lennon sunglasses.

You are also producing Rajinikanth's next, Kaala Karikaalan, with Pa Ranjith as the director. Isn't it a huge responsibility?
Rather than a huge responsibility, it's a huge honour for me to be producing his film. We are all working hard to make it smooth, big and good. We are all eagerly looking forward to it.