PR Once Begged Dhanush, Now Beats His Film

Pradeep Ranganathan’s Dragon and Dhanush’s third directorial venture, Nilavuku Enmel Ennadi Kobam (NEEK), clashed in theatres on December 21st, and Dragon has almost crushed NEEK at the box office.

Now, an old tweet from Pradeep Ranganathan has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), where he had once tagged Dhanush, requesting him to watch his short film.

Netizens are highlighting this as an example of Pradeep Ranganathan’s incredible journey—from an aspiring filmmaker seeking Dhanush’s attention to becoming a leading star in Kollywood. Many are calling it a true success story.

The fact that Pradeep Ranganathan once requested Dhanush to watch his short film and now his movie has clashed with NEEK—and even won the battle with massive box office collections—is being hailed as remarkable growth by audiences.

According to reports, Dragon has amassed around ₹70 crore in worldwide box office collections so far, whereas Dhanush’s NEEK, featuring fresh talents, has only managed around ₹12 crore.

Although NEEK is just Dhanush’s directorial venture with young, relatively unknown actors, social media comparisons with Dragon continue. However, trade experts argue that the comparison is unfair, as Dragon had Pradeep Ranganathan’s star power, while NEEK was solely a directorial effort from Dhanush.

Nevertheless, Pradeep Ranganathan is cementing himself as a bankable star in Kollywood with back-to-back blockbusters. It remains to be seen how his upcoming films perform and whether he will rise as one of the industry’s biggest stars.