Madras HC Rejects Netflix’s Plea To Quash Dhanush’s Suit Against Nayanthara

The Madras High Court has rejected Netflix India's plea to dismiss a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by actor Dhanush against Nayanthara. The legal action stems from Nayanthara's documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale, in which a 3-second clip from Dhanush's film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was used without his consent.

Dhanush Wins Legal Battle Against Nayanthara’s Documentary

Dhanush had initiated the civil suit in November 2024, naming Nayanthara, her husband Vignesh Shivan, and their production company, Rowdy Pictures Private Limited, as defendants. The lawsuit alleged that unauthorized visuals from his film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan were incorporated into the Netflix documentary, which led to the dispute now being addressed in court..

In addition, Wunderbar Films had also requested the court's permission to include Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, the Mumbai-based entity handling Netflix's content investments in India, in the lawsuit. The court had granted this request, agreeing that a major part of the dispute falls under its jurisdiction.

When The Actor Threatened Legal Action Over Copyright Infringement

The legal notice from Dhanush's lawyer demanded that Nayanthara’s team take down the content that allegedly violated his client's copyright over the film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. The statement read, “Advise 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.”

Dhanush's lawyer also responded to Nayanthara’s claim that the content in question was behind-the-scenes footage filmed on personal phones. The lawyer strongly refuted this, stating, “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.”

Actor Nayanthara had written an open letter to actor-producer Dhanush on November 16, criticising his refusal to grant permission to use scenes from the film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale, which is set to release today, November 18 on Netfilx.  

Nayanthara's Open Letter To Dhanush

The documentary, which was initially announced in August 2022, just a few months after Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan’s June wedding, encountered multiple delays before being re-announced in October 2024 with a new release date. In her detailed three-page open letter, Nayanthara shed light on various aspects, including the documentary’s content, the challenges faced during production, and the reasons behind its delays. 

She highlighted, “This Netflix Documentary about me, my life, my love and marriage include clips of many of my industry well-wishers who have graciously contributed and memories from multiple films, but sadly does not include the most special and important film, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.”

Addressing the issue of control, Nayanthara questioned, “Does a producer become an emperor, dictating the lives, freedom, and rights of everyone on set? Must any deviation from such an emperor's rule result in legal consequences?”

Here are five key points from her letter

1. Struggle for an NOC 

Nayanthara expressed disappointment at Dhanush's prolonged refusal to approve a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the documentary. She mentioned, "After two long years of battling it out with you for an NOC... we finally decided to give up, re-edit, and settle for the current version."

2. Emotional connection to the film

The actor highlighted the special place Naanum Rowdy Dhaan holds in her career, stating, "The songs of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan are appreciated to this day because the lyrics came from true emotions... your refusal to give us the opportunity to use it... broke my heart."

3. Allegations of personal grudge

Nayanthara claimed that Dhanush's refusal was not based on business reasons but personal issues. She wrote, "It hurts that this decision of yours is only to vent out your personal grudge against us... you deliberately remained indecisive this long."

4. Legal notice

She revealed that Dhanush issued a legal notice demanding damages for the usage of a brief video. "We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos... and claimed a sum of Rs. 10 crores as damages for the mere 3 seconds," she stated, adding that this move "speaks so much about your character."

5. A call for decency and support

Nayanthara urged Dhanush to show kindness and decency in his actions: "Courtesy and decency mandate large-hearted behaviour in such matters. I believe the people of Tamil Nadu... would not appreciate such tyranny."

She stated, "I wish to introduce a German word into your vocabulary, 'schadenfreude', and ensure that you don't taste that emotion with us or anyone anymore." The term schadenfreude refers to the pleasure derived from someone else's misfortune, a feeling she wishes would no longer play a role in their interactions.

The actor concluded with a hopeful note, encouraging him to embrace the joy of others’ success and suggesting, "It is important to #SpreadLove... and I hope and pray that someday you are also fully capable of doing it and not just saying it."

Take a look at her post. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by N A Y A N T H A R A (@nayanthara)

Why Naanum Rowdy Dhaan Holds Special Significance

For those unfamiliar, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was a 2015 Tamil film that turned into an overnight success. Directed by Vignesh Shivan, it featured Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in the lead roles and was produced by Dhanush. This film holds special significance as it was on this set where Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan met, marking the beginning of their love story.

The documentary was released on November 18 on Netflix, which coincided with Nayanthara’s 40th birthday.