South star Dhanush on Monday announced separation from his filmmaker wife Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth after 18 years of marriage. 

Dhanush, 38, and Aishwaryaa, 40, shared a note announcing their separation on their respective social media accounts.

“Eighteen years of togetherness as friends, couple, as parents and well wishers to each other. The journey has been of growth, understanding, adjusting and adapting. Today we stand at a place where our paths separate. Aishwaryaa and I have decided to part ways as a couple and take time to understand us as individuals for the better.

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“Please do Respect our decision and give us the needed privacy to deal with this. Om Namashivaaya! Spread love, D,” Dhanush shared in a note on Twitter.

Aishwaryaa shared the same note on Instagram and captioned it: “No caption needed…only your understanding n your love necessary!” 

Who is Dhanush?

Venkatesh Prabhu by birth, Dhanush is the son of director Kasthuri Raja and younger brother of director Selvaraghavan. 

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Dhanush made his debut in his father’s ‘Thulluvadho Ilamai’. However, his first hit came in partnership with his brother in ‘Kadhal Konden’. ‘Thiruda Thirudi’  also became a blockbuster.

However, his next ‘Pudhukottaiyilirindhu Saravanan’ which was directed by Stanley failed. 

Dhanush appeared in a cameo role, for his father-in-law Rajinikanth’s venture ‘Kuselan’. He won the Best actor award in 2011 for ‘Aadukalam’.

He was directed by his wife in ‘3’, a film that was popular for ‘Why this Kolaveri Di’. 

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Dhanush has also been a playback singer and lyricist. He was nominated to become the brand ambassador of PETA with the title of India’s Hottest Vegetarian Celebrity of 2011.

Dhanush, also a producer, was recently seen in the Aanand L Rai directed Hindi romantic drama “Atrangi Re” and has a long career in the Tamil film industry.

Dhanush and Aishwarya, daughter of megastar Rajinikanth, tied the knot in 2004 and are parents to two sons, Yatra and Linga, who were born in 2006 and 2010, respectively.