The three-page explosive letter attacking the celebrated actor-singer-producer that she shared on her social media on November 16 has generated the kind of buzz around her new Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale that’s the dream of every promotional campaign.
Within two days, it has stirred up a mean storm. It has created a chasm on the internet with industry stakeholders and fans rallying on both sides.
In the open letter, the birthday girl—who turns 40 today—has besmirched Dhanush’s integrity and character. Calling him a tyrant, she has slammed him for harboring “vengeance” and holding “a personal grudge” against her and her husband, director Vignesh Shivan.
A part of the letter reads: “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 in 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.
“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 that you said about the film that 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 to us already.”
The film in question is the 2015 Tamil mega-hit Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. Directed by Shivan, it stars Nayanthara and Vijay Sethupathi in lead roles and was produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films. A major box-office success, it played a crucial role in cementing Nayanthara’s superstardom. It also turned out to be a pivotal project for her personally as it was during the making of this movie that she and Shivan fell in love.
Since Naanum Rowdy Dhaan has been so indispensable in Nayanthara’s journey, she wanted to use its songs and footage in her Netflix documentary. In the letter, she claims that despite waiting for Dhanush’s permission to include clips from the film in Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale for two years, he never budged. As a result, they had to go ahead without it.
They finally ended up using a three-second behind-the-scenes video from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’s shoot that has Shivan and Nayanthara talking, which, according to the letter, was shot on a personal device and is widely available on social media. This clip made it to the trailer and upon its release, Dhanush sued Nayanthara and Shivan, demanding ₹10 crore in damages for the unauthorised use of the three-second BTS footage. The open letter is Nayanthara’s response to Dhanush’s legal notice.
Many of Dhanush’s past heroines have extended support to Nayanthara on social media. Some of the most prominent names include Aishwarya Rajesh, Aishwarya Lekshmi, Nazriya Fahadh, Anupama Parameswaran, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Manjima Mohan, Gouri G Kishan, and Shruti Haasan.
Notably, tension first started brewing between the two titans during the making of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. The film’s costs reportedly shot over budget and this didn’t go well with Dhanush, who pulled the plug off the movie. “Towards the end of the shooting, he did not provide the finances to complete the film. Nayanthara spent her own money to complete it for the love of her life, Vignesh Shivan,” trade analyst Ramesh Bala told Times of India.
Dhanush, who didn’t expect Naanum Rowdy Dhaan to do as well at the box office as it did, was also apparently unhappy with Nayanthara’s performance in it. An old video of Nayanthara taking a dig at him in her acceptance speech after receiving a Filmfare Award for her performance in the film has gone viral since the controversy escalated. Nayanthara has also touched upon this in the open letter.
But there is more to this feud than the egos of two superstars clashing. Nayanthara starts her letter by shedding a light on how despite being a rank outsider, she’s made it to the top of a fiercely competitive and male-dominated industry through sheer hard work. She also talks about the monopoly that producers exercise over the copyright of all the creatives associated with a film despite it being a team effort.
Nepotism, male privilege, and unequal power distribution are all valid concerns. But as an audience member commented on Instagram, “May I ask why Nayanthara isn’t offering her documentary free of charge? After all, she has monetised it, hasn’t she? If it’s acceptable to commercialise something as personal as a marriage, why is there an issue with Dhanush charging for his work, especially when it has always been positioned as a business endeavor?”
Dhanush hasn’t reacted to Nayanthara’s letter yet.
In an ideal world, this shouldn’t have been such a big deal. But since it has ballooned to gigantic proportions, it remains to be seen whether a publicly available BTS video shot from a personal device will eventually be considered infringement under copyright laws or not.
However, what’s interesting is Nayanthara playing the morality card, knowing fully well that trial by media is an incredibly powerful way to influence and deliver justice in a country as high-strung and image-conscious as India. Amid all the hullabaloo and mud-slinging, the sad reality remains unchanged—no matter the verdict, there will be no winners.
