In a legal clash that has sparked considerable attention in the Tamil film industry, actor Dhanush has filed a civil suit against Nayanthara and her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Sivan, over the alleged use of footage from his 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in Nayanthara's Netflix documentary without prior permission.
Through his production company Wunderbar Films, Dhanush has approached the Madras High Court with a lawsuit targeting Nayanthara, her husband Vignesh Sivan, and their production house Rowdy Pictures, The Hindu reported. The suit claims that certain visuals from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan were used without permission in the documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, which is currently available on Netflix.
In addition, Dhanush has requested the court’s permission to add Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, a Netflix-linked entity, to the lawsuit. The company manages Netflix's content investments in India and is based in Mumbai.
Dhanush has urged the court to proceed with the case under jurisdiction provisions, as a significant part of the issue originated within the Madras High Court’s jurisdiction.
The court has granted permission to include Los Gatos in the case, and both parties are expected to present their arguments in upcoming hearings, The Hindu reported.
The legal dispute follows public comments by Nayanthara, who accused Dhanush of attempting to strong-arm her into removing footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan that was included in her documentary.
Nayanthara claims that after editing the documentary to exclude the footage, Dhanush sent a legal notice demanding ₹10 crore in damages for using a mere three-second behind-the-scenes clip from the film.
The two actors, who have worked together on Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, reportedly avoided interaction when they attended a wedding in Chennai recently, further fueling their growing tensions.
Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, released in 2015, was a major success and held a deep personal significance for both Nayanthara and her husband, Vignesh Sivan. It was during the filming of this project that Nayanthara and Vignesh began their relationship, which eventually led to their marriage in June 2022.
Despite the controversy with Dhanush, Nayanthara took to Instagram to publicly thank several prominent film industry figures for their support while creating her Netflix documentary. In a post, she expressed gratitude to producers Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, and others for granting No Objection Certificates (NOCs) without hesitation or delay, allowing her to use footage from their films.
“Every film I have worked on holds immense significance in my life, as my journey in cinema is filled with countless joyful moments. Among these, many films are especially close to my heart, and I wished to include those memories and scenes in our documentary,” Nayanthara wrote.
Her post continued: “When I approached the following producers to obtain No Objection Certificates (NOCs), they granted them without hesitation or delay. I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of them.”
This message came just days after Nayanthara’s criticism of Dhanush, who had opposed the inclusion of footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and demanded financial compensation for its use.
Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, which provides an intimate look into the actor's career and life, has gained considerable attention since its release. However, the controversy over Dhanush’s legal action could now create additional hurdles for the documentary.
As the case progresses, there may be further implications for how the Netflix documentary is received and whether any changes to its content are required.
