Indian actress Nayanthara has been making headlines after addressing a legal feud with actor Dhanush over her Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale. The controversy revolves around a three-second behind-the-scenes clip from their film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which allegedly led to a Rs. 10 crore lawsuit filed by Dhanush.
Amidst this tension, Nayanthara took a moment to thank Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, and other producers who granted her No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for using footage from their films in her documentary without any hesitation or delay.
In a heartfelt note, Nayanthara shared,
“ Our documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, has now been released. 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. 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.”
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The Feud with Dhanush
For those unfamiliar, Nayanthara revealed in an open letter that she and her team had spent two years trying to secure permission from Dhanush to use footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. When this wasn’t granted, they opted to include behind-the-scenes visuals recorded on personal devices. However, following the release of the documentary’s trailer, they received a legal notice accusing them of copyright infringement and demanding Rs. 10 crore in damages.
In her letter, Nayanthara criticized Dhanush, stating,
“What’s even more shocking is your legal notice after the release of the trailer of the Netflix Documentary. We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just 3 seconds) which were shot in our personal devices and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly present on social media and claimed a sum of Rs. 10 crores as damages for the mere 3 seconds. This is an all time low from you and speaks so much about your character. I wish you were half the person you portray to be on stage in audio launches in front of your innocent fans but clearly you do not practice what you preach. at least not for me and my partner.”
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Dhanush’s Legal Response
Dhanush’s legal team responded, demanding the immediate removal of the content and threatening legal action if their demands were not met within 24 hours. The statement read,
“My client is the producer of the film and they know where they have spent each penny for the production of the film. Your client has stated that my client has not commissioned any person to shoot the behind-the-scenes footage and the said statement is baseless. Your client is put to strict proof of the same.”
The statement also mentioned Dhanush would be compelled to initiate legal proceedings, seeking damages of Rs. 10 crore against both Nayanthara and Netflix India if the content is not taken down within 24 hours. Advice your client to take down the content infringing my client’s copyright over the film NAANUM ROWDY DHAAN by using the same in your client’s documentary named NAYANTHARA BEYOND THE FAIRYTALE within 24 hours, failing which my client will be forced to initiate appropriate legal action, including but not limited to seeking damages to a sum of Rs. 10 crores against your client and Netflix India.”
The escalating dispute has sparked significant discussion in the entertainment industry, with fans divided over the handling of the situation. While Nayanthara’s gratitude to Shah Rukh Khan and others highlights solidarity within the industry, her feud with Dhanush continues to cast a shadow over her latest project.
