Dhanush wins legal battle against Nayanthara in copyright dispute

It's a win for Tamil actor Dhanush in his copyright infringement row with A-lister Nayanthara.

The Madras High Court today sided with actor Dhanush, dismissing a petition by Netflix India to reject his lawsuit.

The dispute centered around a 3-second clip from Dhanush's film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan being used in Nayanthara's Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale without his consent.

Dhanush initially filed the civil suit in November 2024, targeting Nayanthara, her husband Vignesh Shivan, and their production company, Rowdy Pictures Private Limited.

His production house, Wunderbar Films Private Limited, also sought legal permission to include Netflix India’s Mumbai-based entity, Los Gatos Production Services, in the case.

The actor's legal team had earlier issued a stern warning, demanding the removal of the disputed content within 24 hours, failing which they threatened legal action, including damages of Dh4.4million.

"Advise your client to take down the content infringing my client's copyright... or face legal consequences," read the statement.

Nayanthara responded publicly on Instagram, accusing Dhanush of stooping to "an all-time low" with his hefty compensation demand.

She also expressed gratitude to filmmakers like Shah Rukh Khan, Chiranjeevi, and Ram Charan, who had readily permitted her to use footage from their films for the documentary without hesitation.

The controversy has drawn significant attention, with both sides holding firm on their stances. While the legal victory is a significant win for Dhanush, the public debate around the case continues to unfold.