Nayanthara has finally addressed the ongoing legal dispute with actor Dhanush over the use of behind-the-scenes (BTS) clips from the film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale. In an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, the actress and her husband, director Vignesh Shivan, revealed details about their attempt to secure rights for the footage and the escalating tensions that followed.
Nayanthara explained that the couple had initially approached Dhanush, who produced Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, for permission to use the BTS clips, hoping to obtain the necessary No Objection Certificate (NOC). “We reached out to Dhanush as a friend, hoping to get the rights, but when he refused to provide the NOC, we decided to move past it,” she said, clarifying that the situation was never intended to spark a controversy.
The issue came to a head just days before the documentary’s release when Dhanush sent a legal notice on November 16, claiming that the use of the BTS clips was unauthorized. Nayanthara’s team countered that the clips, which were shot by their own crew members, had been used in good faith. This led to a copyright violation case filed by Dhanush against the actress and Netflix.
In her interview, Nayanthara emphasized that the inclusion of four specific lines, written by Vignesh Shivan, was crucial to the film as they were deeply personal, encapsulating their love and family. “We genuinely thought Dhanush, being a friend, would be the first person to agree to it. But when that didn’t happen, we were okay with not using the lines. We didn’t get the NOC, and we moved past it,” she said.
Nayanthara also reached out to Dhanush through mutual contacts to understand his reasons for withholding approval. “I spoke to his manager, which I usually don’t do. I just wanted a phone call to clear the air. It wasn’t about being best friends; I just wanted to say ‘hi’ in the future,” she explained.
Despite deciding not to use the clips and having Vignesh write new lyrics for the documentary, the BTS footage resurfaced during the trailer’s release. Nayanthara clarified that the footage in question was not official, but rather casual videos shot by the crew on their phones years ago. “People don’t understand that these were random videos taken on our phones and others in the crew. It wasn’t official footage,” she said.
The controversy intensified after the trailer was released, prompting Nayanthara to pen a letter addressing the issue. She expressed her frustration, noting that the matter had been blown out of proportion. “For someone like Dhanush, who is so respected, I thought he would just let it go,” she said. “But when the issue escalated, I felt it was unfair, and I had to speak out.”
Nayanthara, who remains firm in her stance, asserted that she was not afraid to stand by the truth. “Courage only comes from the truth. If I’m not fabricating something, I don’t have to be scared,” she concluded, adding that if she didn’t speak out, it would set a dangerous precedent for others to stay silent in similar situations.
The legal battle between Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, and Dhanush is still ongoing, with no resolution in sight.