Rs 10cr legal clash: Nayanthara and Dhanush lock horns over documentary clip

South Indian cinema icons Nayanthara and Dhanush are embroiled in a heated legal battle over a three-second clip in a Netflix documentary. Dhanush has reportedly demanded Rs 10 crore in damages, claiming unauthorised use of footage from his 2015 Tamil film “Naanum Rowdy Dhaan”, which he produced under his banner Wunderbar Films.

Nayanthara, in turn, has responded with a strongly worded open letter, calling the claim “startling” and alleging that the footage in question was shot on personal devices.

The dispute erupted after Netflix released the trailer for “Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale”, a documentary exploring the actor’s life and journey. Dhanush’s objection stems from the inclusion of behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage from “Naanum Rowdy Dhaan”, a blockbuster romantic comedy directed by Nayanthara’s husband, Vignesh Shivan, and starring her opposite Vijay Sethupathi.

Nayanthara alleges the documentary’s producers made “multiple requests” to Dhanush for permission to use clips and songs from the film. She claims they ultimately settled for the current version after he declined approval.

In her three-page open letter posted on Instagram, Nayanthara expressed shock at the Rs 10 crore claim, labelling it an “all-time low” and questioning Dhanush’s character.

“We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just three seconds) that were shot on our personal devices… and claimed a sum of Rs 10 crore as damages,” she wrote.

She further accused Dhanush of harbouring resentment toward the film’s success, alleging that his displeasure was evident during award ceremonies following the movie’s blockbuster reception.

Taking a dig at Dhanush’s public image, Nayanthara added, “I wish you were half the person you portray on stage at audio launches… but clearly, you do not practice what you preach.” She also called out his comments about spreading positivity and living without hate, deeming his behaviour contradictory.

Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan joined the fray, sharing an old clip of Dhanush’s speech from 2017, where the actor spoke about embracing positivity and rejecting negativity.

While Dhanush has yet to respond to the letter, Nayanthara has vowed to address the lawsuit through lawful means. “I will be giving a befitting reply,” she asserted, urging him to view the documentary and reflect on his actions.