Dhanush sues Nayanthara, Vignesh for Rs.1 crore over “Naanum Rowdy Dhaan” footage

Actor-filmmaker Dhanush has decided to move forward with his legal battle against actress Nayanthara and her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, seeking ₹1 crore in damages. The dispute revolves around the alleged unauthorized use of behind-the-scenes footage from the 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale.

The lawsuit, filed through Dhanush’s production house, Wunderbar Films, accuses Nayanthara and Vignesh of copyright violation. According to the complaint, the documentary included visuals from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan without obtaining proper permissions. Dhanush initially sought an interim injunction to prevent the documentary’s release in November 2024, but the court denied the request. Now, the case has been scheduled for a full hearing on April 9, 2025.

Apart from the copyright dispute, the legal filing also alleges unprofessional conduct by Nayanthara and Vignesh during the making of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. In an affidavit submitted by Wunderbar Films, the production house claimed that Vignesh Shivan focused disproportionately on Nayanthara during filming, sidelining other actors and crew members. The affidavit states, “The fourth respondent (Vignesh Shivan) unnecessarily began focusing his attention only on the third respondent (Nayanthara), ignoring the other cast and crew of the movie by taking multiple retakes of scenes involving the third respondent in order to ensure that only she delivers her best performance, without prioritizing the other actor.”

For context, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan was a major success in Tamil cinema, starring Nayanthara alongside Vijay Sethupathi. The romantic comedy, directed by Vignesh Shivan and produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films, became a milestone in both the director’s and Nayanthara’s careers. However, tensions between the parties surfaced after Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale was released on Netflix, prompting this legal action.

Prior to the documentary’s release, Nayanthara had written a scathing open letter to Dhanush, criticizing him for refusing to provide a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for using Naanum Rowdy Dhaan footage. Despite this, the documentary proceeded with its release, leading to the current legal standoff.

Dhanush, through Wunderbar Films Private Limited, has filed the case not just against Nayanthara and Vignesh but also their production house, Rowdy Pictures Private Limited, along with two other parties. With the court hearing set for April, the entertainment industry is closely watching how this high-profile legal battle unfolds.