NEW YORK: Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth Dhanush, filmmaker, UN Ambassador for Gender Equality and daughter of Superstar Rajinikanth presented a Bharatanatyam performance at the United Nations on the International Day for Women March 8. The nattuvangam was provided by her dance guru noted Bharatanatyam dancer Meenakshi Chittaranjan. Last year the UN Woman named her as Goodwill Ambassador for Gender Equality.
The event was co-sponsored by America Tamil Sangam which is also hosting a reception for her in Haveli Restaurant in Forest Hills on Sunday March 12. This was the first time a celebrity dancer from Tamil Nadu performed at the world body in the presence of diplomats and invitees. The event was organized by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.
Aishwaryaa R Dhanush is an Indian film director and a start up entrepreneur. She is the daughter of the Indian Superstar Rajinikanth who is one of Asia’s biggest actors. She is married to Dhanush who is today one of the most talented and successful pan-Indian actors. She is a mother of two boys.
Aishwaryaa completed her schooling at The Ashram in Chennai. She has also acquired a diploma in law from Chennai.
She directed her first feature film “3” in 2011 featuring her husband Dhanush. The film was successful critically and commercially and it catapulted Aishwaryaa as a leading young director. The film was famous for the song “why this kolaveri” which became a worldwide viral phenomenon.
She was invited to several prestigious film festivals and panels post the release. Aishwaryaa’s second feature film “Vai raja Vai ” an ensemble cast venture released in 2015, was also equally successful.
Aishwaryaa is a multi talented person. She is a trained Bharatnatyam dancer, a voracious reader and writes very well. She launched her company Ten Entertainment recently, which is a digital medium to promote short film content. The company will promote and distribute content in the digital platform. Additional to this she oversees the production activities of Wunderbar films, a production company launched by her husband Dhanush.
Aishwaryaa is keenly interested in the cause of women and has associated herself with various welfare activities. She strongly propagates the cause that every girl child in India should have the fundamental right to education and to be independent. She is a perfect example of how an Indian woman juggles multiple roles. Her future plans include directing feature films and developing and extending her company Ten Entertainment in digital media spheres.
Prakash Swamy
