Better known as the unassuming man behind the rage of a song, 'Kolaveri Di', Dhanush has been storming the virtual space again. This time as the quintessential boy from Benaras, who pursues his love with dogged determination and cheeky punch lines. The first promo of Raanjhanaa, produced by Eros is out, and the big talking point is the crackling chemistry between the film's unlikely romantic lead - Sonam Kapoor and Dhanush.

But Rajinikanth's 30-year-old son-in-law (he is married to his daughter Aishwarya) is in some remote area in Tamil Nadu, shooting for a film, immune to the happy buzz on his Hindi film debut. When TOI asked him about what went into the transformation of a Tamil star to a love-struck Benaras boy, he chose to play it down. "Aanand Rai (director) did not choose me for Kolaveri Di, but for my National Award-winning film Aadukalam. But frankly speaking, I did not have to go through any rigid preparation for the role."

Benaras was one of the few places in the country that Dhanush had not visited and he relied on the director to help him get the nuances right. "They gave me inputs to get the body language and mannerisms of a local lad correctly. What is extraordinary about this role is that this guy handles everything 'ulta.' A character many will relate to," he hopes. But he also cautions that just as there is no question of playing up the paanchewing stereotype, there is no effort to smooth out the edges either.

"Which character in films today doesn't have jagged edges?" he questions, while talking about Hindi cinema's love-hate relationship with characters born on the banks of the Ganga. And while Dhanush confesses he is not likely to pop a juicy Benarasi paan into his mouth any time soon, he does seem to have developed a taste for the city's famed aloo-puri. "It became my breakfast staple," he laughs, adding, "Washed down with a cup of masala chai. And then, how can I forget Benaras ki rabdi?!" Besides developing a taste for North Indian food, Dhanush admits he had to work on his dialogue delivery as well.

And credits Sonam Kapoor for helping him find his groove. "Sonam and I met on the set for the first time. Given that I am not well versed with Hindi, she helped me understand so many things during the shoot. It must have been so difficult for her to act with me," he says. But when we tell him about how good they look together, he says, "That's because we understood the demands of the script well... every scene became like a group study." Dhanush insists he dubbed for all his lines. "It was tough but the writer Hemanshu and editor Hemal guided me all the through the pauses and punches."

The popular actor-lyricist-singer-producer says he is ready to be tried and tested by the Bollywood audience. "There is no such thing as a Bollywood hero or Hollywood hero," he says when we ask him if he fits the definition. "All you see on the screen is the lead actor's interpretation of the role that has been conceived by the writer. If Raanjhanaa works, maybe I will do more films here." And since he claims he knows no other Bollywood actress other than Sonam, Dhanush insists he does not mind being paired with her again.