Nayanthara Slams 'Vile' Dhanush, Accuses Him of Blocking Film Footage for Documentary

Nayanthara has publicly criticised Dhanush for refusing to grant permission to use film footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her Netflix documentary, Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the actress also accused Dhanush of sending her a legal notice demanding ₹10 crore. She described the actor as "vile" and pointed out that someone like Dhanush, a "well-established actor" with the support of his father and brother, should understand that cinema is a "fight for survival" for people like her. Nayanthara described herself as "a self-made woman with no connections in the industry" and someone who had to struggle her way to where she is today.

Talking about her Netflix documentary, she shared how much effort her team put into it. She added that 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". The actor said that she had to "re-edit and settle for the current version" of her documentary after waiting for two years as Dhanush "declined to permit the usage of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan songs or visual cuts, even the photographs, to say the least, despite multiple requests".

Nayanthara continued, “It is understandable if it is business compulsions and monetary issues that mandate your denial; but it hurts that this decision of yours is only 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 of the Netflix Documentary. We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just 3 seconds) which were shot in our personal devices and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly present on social media and claimed a sum of ₹10 crore as damages for the mere 3 seconds.”

The actor further said, "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. Does a Producer become an Emperor controlling the lives, freedom and liberty of all the persons in the set? Any deviation from the Emperor's dictum attracts legal ramifications?"

The letter also read, "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. I learnt through film circles that your ego was supremely hurt after the film became a blockbuster."