The long-standing tensions between Indian actor Nayanthara and actor-director Dhanush came to the forefront on Nov. 16 after the former issued an open letter addressing Dhanush’s refusal to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for her Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale.
The dispute centers on the alleged unauthorized use of a three-second behind-the-scenes clip from their 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which appeared in the documentary’s trailer. Following this, Dhanush’s legal team sent a notice to Nayanthara, her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, and Netflix, demanding US$ 1.2 Million (INR 10 crore) in damages.
In her open letter, Nayanthara accused Dhanush of harboring "personal vengeance" and questioned his refusal to approve the use of songs, visuals, and even photographs from the film despite repeated requests over the past two years. “This decision of yours is only to vent out your personal grudge against us,” she wrote.
She also criticized the legal action taken after the trailer’s release. “We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just 3 seconds) which were shot on our personal devices... and claimed a sum of US$ 1.2 Million as damages for the mere 3 seconds. This is an all-time low from you and speaks so much about your character.”
The Jawan actress expressed disappointment over the situation, stating that the songs of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan remain special to her and her team. “Your refusal to give us the opportunity to use them... broke my heart,” she said, adding, “Your actions hurt not just us but also the team that worked tirelessly on this documentary.”
Addressing Dhanush directly, she said, “Does a producer become an emperor controlling the lives, freedom, and liberty of all persons on the set? Any deviation from the emperor's dictum attracts legal ramifications?” She also pointed to alleged past incidents, including Dhanush’s reported displeasure at the film’s success and remarks made during award functions.
The letter concluded with a plea for Dhanush to let go of past grievances. “It’s okay for normal people with no background in cinema to make it big,” she wrote, urging him to focus on positivity and “spread love.”
Vignesh Shivan, Nayanthara’s husband, also reacted to the legal notice. Sharing a video of Dhanush from a past audio launch, he remarked, “At least for the sake of some innocent die-hard fans who believe all of this, I sincerely pray to God for people to change and find happiness in other people’s happiness.”
Meanwhile, the documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, which release on Netflix on Nov. 18 explores the actor’s rise to stardom and features insights from industry colleagues such as Rana Daggubati, Taapsee Pannu, and Nagarjuna Akkineni. The documentary also delves into her personal life, showcasing her journey as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother.
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