South Indian cinema’s lady superstar Nayanthara has suffered a significant legal setback as actor Dhanush secured a major victory in a copyright infringement lawsuit. The Madras High Court recently dismissed an application filed by Nayanthara and Netflix India, ruling in favor of Dhanush.
The legal battle began when Nayanthara’s documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale used a 3-second footage from Dhanush’s produced film Nanam Rowdy Dhan without permission. Dhanush filed a lawsuit accusing her of copyright violation over the unauthorized use of the footage.
In the lawsuit filed in November of the previous year, Nayanthara’s husband, Vignesh Shivan, and their production company, Rowdy Pictures, were also named as defendants.
Dhanush’s production company, Wonderbar Films, had sought permission from the High Court to file a case against Netflix India’s associate company, Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, in Tamil Nadu.
Dhanush’s lawyer issued a statement, saying, “My client’s Nanam Rowdy Dhan footage was used without permission in Nayanthara’s documentary. The footage must be removed within 24 hours, or Dhanush will be forced to take legal action and claim a compensation of ₹10 crore.”
In response, Nayanthara took to Instagram to publish an open letter, describing Dhanush’s compensation demand as “extremely low-minded.” She also thanked other film producers like Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, Ram Charan, and others, who had granted permission for their footage to be used and supported her.
The legal drama has sparked a wide discussion in both Bollywood and Tollywood. With the court ruling in Dhanush’s favor, his fans have expressed their excitement over the win.