The controversy surrounding Nayanthara’s Netflix documentary has now reached the court. Dhanush has filed a civil lawsuit against Nayanthara in the Madras High Court, alleging copyright infringement. The court has accepted Dhanush’s petition and issued a notice to Nayanthara. The High Court has directed Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, and Netflix to respond to the petition.
The issue arose when Nayanthara publicly addressed Dhanush in an open letter, claiming that he had not granted an NOC (No Objection Certificate) to use footage from the film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the documentary Beyond The Fairytale. The controversy escalated in Kollywood after Nayanthara’s letter. Despite this, the documentary was released on Netflix on Nayanthara’s birthday, November 18, with scenes from the movie included. Following this, Dhanush filed a case in court.
The controversy stems from the use of behind-the-scenes footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the documentary. The documentary also features Vignesh Shivan giving instructions to the actors and interacting with Nayanthara. Dhanush had previously sent a legal notice to Nayanthara, arguing that the behind-the-scenes footage from the film rightfully belonged to the film’s producers.
On November 16, Nayanthara publicly responded to Dhanush, claiming that he had not granted permission to use the songs, scenes, and behind-the-scenes footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. She stated that Dhanush had filed a lawsuit against her, demanding compensation of 10 crores for the use of just three seconds of behind-the-scenes footage.
The Beyond The Fairytale documentary, which was released on Netflix on November 18, was directed by Gautam Vasudev Menon. The documentary showcases various roles in Nayanthara’s life— as a film star, lady superstar, daughter, sister, wife, mother, and friend. In 2022, Nayanthara married Vignesh Shivan. The couple had worked together in the 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, where their romantic relationship began. In October 2022, they became parents to twins, Ulagam and Uyir, through surrogacy.
