New Delhi:
Dhanush has filed a civil suit against Nayanthara for allegedly using visuals related to his production Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her Netflix documentray without his clearance – the latest in an escalating row between two popular Tamil cinema stars. Dhanush has approached the Madras High Court against Nayanthara, her husband Vignesh Shivan and their production house Rowdy Pictures Private Limited. The civil suit claims Nayanthara and others used certain visuals connected to the film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the Netflix original Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale. Dhanush’s Wunderber Films Private also has taken out an application urging the High Court to grant permission to sue in Tamil Nadu the Mumbai-based company Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, an entity through which Netflix reports its content investments in India.
As Dhanush’s lawyer P.S. Raman made the case for permission to sue Los Gatos, it was opposed by the rival counsels Sathish Parasaran and R. Parthasarathy, representing Ms. Nayanthara and Netflix. After hearing both sides, the judge allowed Dhanush’s request.
Dhanush’s move came days after his threat last week of legal action if the content (in Nayanthara’s documentary) wasn’t taken down within 24 hours. The statement from Dhanush’s legal representative asserted, “Advice 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.”
Nayanthara had shared an open letter on Instagram, slamming Dhanush for touching “an all-time low” with his demand for Rs 10 crore compensation from the Jawan actress for use of footage lasting a few seconds. Nayanthara also shared a post thanking Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan and other producers who allowed her to use footage from their films for her documentary and granted her their all-clears “without any hesitation and delay.”
