All You Need To Know About Dhanush’s Rs 1 Crore Suit Against Nayanthara

With Tamil actor-director-producer Dhanush’s production house, Wunderbar Films Private Limited, seeking Rs 1 crore in damages over an alleged copyright violation related to the 2015 Tamil film ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’, the dispute between actor Nayanthara, her filmmaker husband Vignesh Shivan, and Dhanush has entered deeper legal waters.

Dhanush’s production house has filed a civil suit against Nayanthara and Vignesh for allegedly using behind-the-scenes footage from the film in their Netflix documentary, ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’, without obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC). According to Times Now, the affidavit also accused Vignesh Shivan of unprofessional behaviour during the film’s production, claiming he focused excessively on Nayanthara, neglecting the rest of the cast and crew.

The actor-filmmaker’s affidavit that alleges unprofessionalism reportedly reads, “The fourth respondent (Mr. Sivan) unnecessarily began focusing his attention only on the third respondent (Ms. Nayanthara) ignoring the other cast and crew of the movie by taking multiple re-takes of scenes which involved the third respondent in order to make sure that only she gives her best performance and not prioritizing the other actors.”

The dispute escalated when Nayanthara responded with an open letter on November 16, 2024, accusing Dhanush of holding a personal grudge. She claimed to have requested the NOC from Wunderbar Films for two years without success and defended the inclusion of the footage as sentimental, since ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ marked the beginning of her relationship with Shivan. She further clarified that only three seconds of BTS footage, captured on personal devices, were used in the documentary, making the lawsuit unjustified.

Initially, Dhanush’s production house sought Rs 10 crore in damages and filed for an injunction to halt the documentary’s release. However, the Madras High Court refused the injunction as the documentary had already premiered on Netflix on November 18, 2024. Following this, Wunderbar Films reduced the damages claim to Rs 1 crore, and the case is now set for a final hearing on April 9, 2025.

The legal battle has ignited a major controversy in the Tamil film industry. While Nayanthara and Shivan have taken a defiant stance, Dhanush has refrained from public comments, allowing the case to proceed in court. The upcoming hearing will determine whether the claims of copyright infringement hold weight or if Nayanthara’s defence of sentimental value and fair use prevails.