Dhanush sues Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan over Netflix documentary
What's the story
Actor-producer Dhanush has filed a lawsuit against actor Nayanthara and her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, for reportedly using unauthorized visuals from his 2015 production Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in their recent Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale.
The civil suit was filed by Dhanush's Wunderbar Films Private Limited in the Madras High Court.
The defendants include Nayanthara, Shivan, and their company Rowdy Pictures Private Limited.
Legal proceedings
Dhanush's company sought permission to sue Netflix's Indian entity
Dhanush's company has also sought the High Court's permission to sue Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, a Mumbai-based company that handles Netflix's content investments in India.
The court has granted permission after hearing preliminary arguments from both sides. The court observed that a major part of the cause of action had taken place within its jurisdiction.
Nayanthara is likely to respond at the next hearing.
Ongoing dispute
Nayanthara's previous allegations and Dhanush's compensation demand
This lawsuit comes after Nayanthara had earlier accused Dhanush of pressuring her into not using footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her documentary.
She said after removing any film footage from the documentary, she received a legal notice from Dhanush demanding ₹10cr for using "three seconds of behind-the-scenes footage" from the film.
This ongoing dispute has reportedly caused tension between the two actors, who were seen avoiding each other at a recent wedding in Chennai.
Industry support
Nayanthara thanked industry figures for support amid controversy
Meanwhile, Nayanthara publicly thanked several bigwigs of the film industry for their support during the making of her Netflix documentary.
In an Instagram post, she thanked producers Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, and Ram Charan among others for quickly issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs), permitting her to use footage from their films.
Beyond the Fairy Tale, which explores Nayanthara's life beyond the glamor, premiered on November 18.