Nayanthara Slams Dhanush Over Documentary Dispute, Accuses Him Of 'Personal Vendetta'

On Saturday, Nayanthara took to her official Instagram account to share a three-page note addressing actor, director, and producer Dhanush.

Reportedly, Dhanush, who produced Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan's 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan', has refused to provide a no objection certificate (NOC) for the material to be used in their upcoming documentary, 'Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale'.

Photo Credit: PTI

Nayanthara cited this as the reason for the delay in the release of the documentary, adding that even after removing the film's material from the documentary, Dhanush and his production company filed a lawsuit over the use of just a 3-second behind-the-scenes (BTS) clip.

In her note, Nayanthara addressed Dhanush as the son of Kasthuri Raja and the brother of Selvaraghavan, and began by speaking about the challenges of making it in the film industry without any background.

"This is an open letter to you in order to set several wrong things right. A well-established actor like you, with the support and blessings of your father and your brother, an ace director, needs to read and understand this. Cinema, as we all know, is a fight for survival for people like me: a self-made woman with no links in the industry, someone who had to struggle my way to the position I hold today. I owe this to my work ethic, which is no secret to all who know me, but more importantly, to the goodwill of the audience and my film fraternity."

She then turned to the issue at hand, the documentary. "The release of my Netflix documentary has been much awaited, not just by me but by so many of my fans and well-wishers. It took a whole team of collaborators and film friends to pull together this project through all the difficulties that were thrown at us. The vengeance that you have been festering against the film, my partner and I, doesn't just affect us but the people who have given their effort and time towards this project. This Netflix documentary about me, my life, my love, and marriage includes clips from many of my industry well-wishers who have graciously contributed, and memories from multiple films, but sadly, it does not include the most special and important film, 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'. After two long years of battling it out with you for an NOC and waiting for your approval for our Netflix documentary release, we finally decided to give up, re-edit, and settle for the current version, since you declined to permit the usage of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' songs, visual cuts, or even the photographs, despite multiple requests. The songs of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan' are still appreciated today because the lyrics came from true emotions, and knowing that there's no better music that we could use in our documentary, your refusal to let us use it-or even just the lyrics-broke my heart."

She continued, revealing that despite editing out material from the documentary, Dhanush reportedly demanded compensation for using a mere 3-second BTS footage.

"It's understandable if business compulsions and monetary issues dictate your denial, but it hurts that this decision of yours is solely to vent out your personal grudge against us, and that you have deliberately remained indecisive this long. What's even more shocking is your legal notice after the release of the trailer for the Netflix documentary. We were startled to read those lines, wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just 3 seconds) which were shot on our personal devices and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly available on social media. You claimed a sum of Rs.10 crores as damages for those mere 3 seconds. This is an all-time low from you and speaks so much about your character. I wish you were half the person you portray to be on stage at audio launches in front of your innocent fans, but clearly, you do not practice what you preach-at least not for me and my partner."

Nayanthara went on to criticise Dhanush for the harsh comments he allegedly made before and during the release of 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan'.

"It's almost been 10 years since the release of the film, and it is a long time for someone to continue to be this vile while wearing a mask in front of the world. I have not forgotten all the horrible things you said about the film, which was one of your biggest hits as a producer and a film that is loved by all even today. The words you said pre-release have left some unhealable scars for us. I learnt through film circles that your ego was supremely hurt after the film became a blockbuster. Your displeasure over its success was perceptible even to the common man through award functions related to this film (Filmfare 2016)."

She concluded the note by stating that Dhanush's legal notice would be met with a fitting legal reply.

'Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale' is set to premiere on Netflix on November 18, coinciding with the actor's birthday.

The Lady Superstar is also awaiting the release of 'Test', 'Mannangatti Since 1960', and is working on 'Toxic', 'Mookuthi Amman 2', 'Dear Students', and a film with Kavin.