In a growing legal dispute, South Indian actor Dhanush has filed a civil suit against actress Nayanthara Kurian in the Madras High Court, accusing her of using clips from his film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan without his permission. The footage, which Dhanush's production company, Wunderbar Films Private Limited, claims was used without clearance, appeared in the Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale, released on November 18.

This lawsuit escalates an already public conflict between the two actors, who were once co-stars but have found themselves at odds over this issue in recent weeks. The petition, filed by Wunderbar Films, names not only Nayanthara but also her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan, and a Mumbai-based team associated with Netflix as respondents.

At the heart of Dhanush’s complaint is a claim of copyright infringement. Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which was released a decade ago, was produced by Dhanush, and he asserts that the unauthorized use of clips from the film in the documentary violates his intellectual property rights. The documentary, which chronicles Nayanthara's life, career, and her high-profile wedding to Shivan in 2022, includes a segment about their relationship, which began when Shivan directed Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. The film marked Shivan’s directorial debut and was also where he met Nayanthara, leading to their personal and professional bond.