New twist to Dhanush-Nayanthara rift in Madras High Court

Actor Dhanush's production house, Wunderbar Films, has claimed copyright over all characters and costumes used in its 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan and accused actor Nayanthara of violating these rights. The issue came to light after Nayanthara used approximately 28 seconds of behind-the-scenes footage from the film in her Netflix documentary without obtaining permission.

The matter was brought before the Madras High Court, where Senior Advocate PS Raman, representing Wunderbar Films, argued that Nayanthara’s use of the footage constituted a breach of the Copyright Act, 1957. He emphasized that the agreement between the production house and Nayanthara granted Wunderbar exclusive rights to all elements of the film, including costumes, making the civil suit valid.

Jurisdiction Dispute

The hearing also addressed jurisdictional challenges raised by Los Gatos Production Services, Netflix’s Indian content entity. Senior Advocate R Parthasarathy, representing Los Gatos, argued that the Madras High Court lacked jurisdiction since Wunderbar’s registered office is in Kanchipuram and Netflix’s office is in Mumbai. He suggested that the case should either be moved to a Kanchipuram court under the Copyright Act or to the Bombay High Court under the Letters Patent Act.

In response, Raman contended that both Wunderbar and Nayanthara had Chennai-based offices at the time of the 2015 agreement. Additionally, parts of the film were shot in Chennai, and the Netflix documentary was available nationwide, including Chennai, giving the Madras High Court jurisdiction.

Legal Notice Sparks Controversy

Nayanthara had earlier revealed on social media that Dhanush had sent her a legal notice seeking ₹10 crore in damages after the release of the Netflix documentary trailer. She alleged that Dhanush harbored a personal grudge against her and her husband.

Current Status

The High Court, presided over by Justice Abdul Quddhose, heard arguments from both sides and reserved its decision on the applications filed by Los Gatos to dismiss Wunderbar’s suit.

The case continues to draw attention, with fans and industry insiders closely watching for further developments.