Dhanush vs Nayanthara: Madras HC dismisses plea against Raanjhanaa actor in copyright case

The Madras High Court has dismissed an application from Los Gatos, an Indian entity of Netflix, which sought to reject actor Dhanush's copyright infringement complaint. This dispute involves unauthorized behind-the-scenes footage from Dhanush's film, 'Naanum Rowdy Daan', used in the Netflix documentary 'Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale'. 

Justice Abdul Quddhose dismissed the application by Los Gatos and scheduled a hearing for February 5 concerning an injunction sought by Dhanush's production house, Wunderbar.

Dhanush argues that Netflix did not have authorisation to use footage from his film. Since Netflix's office is located in Mumbai, outside the Madras High Court's jurisdiction, Dhanush filed an application seeking permission to sue Netflix in this court. Netflix opposed this move, arguing that the matter should be addressed in Kancheepuram, where Dhanush's headquarters is located.

Netflix sought to overturn the decision that allowed Dhanush to sue in Madras, contending that Dhanush only obtained permission against Los Gatos and not other parties. They argued the proceedings should take place in Kancheepuram, claiming jurisdiction issues. However, the High Court dismissed their applications, allowing Dhanush's case to proceed.

The decision by the court underscores the complexities involved in jurisdictional matters concerning digital content disputes. Netflix advocated for prior mediation since the documentary is already released, indicating no immediate urgency. Nonetheless, the court allowed the case to proceed, supporting Dhanush's claim. This case highlights the challenges international streaming platforms face when navigating local legal systems and could set a precedent for handling similar cases in the future.

NAYANTHARA’S LETTER

Earlier, the actress had criticised the actor for trying to sabotage her Netflix documentary, which was yet to be released at that point. She said Dhanush had withheld the No Objection Certificate (NOC) for scenes related to their 2015 film, 'Naanum Rowdy Dhaan', which marked her romance with filmmaker-husband Vignesh Shivan. Dhanush had demanded Rs 10 crore for a three-second snippet, she said. 

“The world is big enough for everyone…but it seems you’re determined to hold on to an old grudge,” she had said in her open letter. “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,” she said.

Moreover, Dhanush’s father Kasthuri Raja responding to her letter, had said, “Work is important to us. We are running ahead. There is no time to answer those who chase us or those who talk about us behind our backs. Like me, my son is focused only on work. As Nayanthara said, waiting for two years is not true information. I don’t want to talk about it.”