Netflix India’s Plea To Dismiss Dhanush’s Copyright Claim Over Nayanthara Documentary Denied By Madras High Court

The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed Netflix’s request to have Tamil actor Dhanush’s copyright infringement lawsuit against actress Nayanthara thrown out.

The suit involves the alleged unauthorized use of footage from Dhanush’s film ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ in Netflix’s docu-drama ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’.

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The Madras High Court on Tuesday dismissed Netflix’s request to have Tamil actor Dhanush’s copyright claims over the documentary 'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale'. The suit involves the alleged unauthorized use of footage from Dhanush’s 2015 film ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ in Netflix’s docu-drama ‘Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale’.

Dhanush’s copyright claim denied 

Justice Abdul Quddhose also rejected an application from Los Gatos Production Services India LLP, Netflix’s local content division, seeking to revoke the court’s earlier approval for Wunderbar Films, Dhanush’s production company, to pursue the case in Chennai. Los Gatos argued the case should be heard in Mumbai, but the judge ruled their request was without merit.

The court has set a hearing for February 5 to discuss an interim relief request by Wunderbar Films concerning the unauthorized use of behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the Netflix docu-drama. Wunderbar Films argues that neither Nayanthara nor Netflix had permission to use any footage from the film, including the BTS visuals, without prior consent.

Sreyas Srinivasan, director of Wunderbar Films, clarified that Nayanthara had signed an agreement in 2014 transferring all rights related to her performance, likeness, and voice in the film to the production company. The issue arose when Wunderbar Films discovered the use of BTS footage in the docu-drama’s trailer and issued a legal notice to Netflix in November 2024.

Netflix and Tarc Studios LLP, producers of the docu-drama, countered that the visuals were personal and not shot by Wunderbar Films. The dispute came to light just days before the docu-drama’s November 18, 2024 release.

Nayanthara vs Dhanush

In response, Nayanthara took to social media on November 16, 2024, addressing Dhanush directly. She claimed that despite requesting a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Wunderbar Films for two years, she had not received one. Nayanthara explained that the brief footage from ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’ was included in the docu-drama because it marked the beginning of her relationship with director Vignesh Shivan.

She accused Dhanush of holding a personal grudge and stated that the legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore in damages after the trailer release was unwarranted, pointing out that only a few seconds of BTS footage had been used.