The Madras High Court has rejected Netflix India’s petition to dismiss Dhanush’s copyright lawsuit against actress Nayanthara. The lawsuit arises from the use of a 3-second film clip, produced by Dhanush, in Nayanthara’s documentary without his consent.
In November last year, Dhanush filed the civil suit against Nayanthara, her husband Vignesh Shivan, and their production house, Rowdy Pictures Private Limited. The suit alleges that the filmmakers used visuals from Dhanush’s film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the Netflix original Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale.
Dhanush’s production company, Wunderber Films Private, also filed a petition requesting permission from the High Court to sue Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, a Mumbai-based entity that handles Netflix’s content investments in India.
This legal action follows Dhanush’s earlier warning of taking legal steps if the disputed content in Nayanthara’s documentary was not removed within 24 hours.
The Background: Nayanthara’s open letter to Dhanush
On November 16, Nayanthara lashed out at Dhanush for sending her a legal notice and demanding Rs 10 crore. On Saturday, the actress took to her Instagram handle and issued a long statement. She mentioned that during the making of her recently released Netflix documentary, ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’, she had asked for permission from Dhanush to use visuals from their 2015 movie Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. However, Dhanush refused to grant her permission and instead sent her a legal notice for using behind-the-scenes visuals from the sets of the movie.
On November 16, Nayanthara slammed Dhanush for sending her a legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore. In a lengthy open letter shared on her Instagram, the actress explained that during the making of her recently released Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, she had sought Dhanush’s permission to use visuals from their 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. However, Dhanush denied her request and instead sent a legal notice for using behind-the-scenes footage from the movie’s sets.
