The Madras High Court rejected Netflix India’s plea to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Dhanush’s production company, Wunderbar Films, over alleged copyright infringement. The case pertains to the unauthorized use of behind-the-scenes footage from Dhanush’s 2015 movie Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale. The court will now hear Wunderbar Films’ interim injunction request on February 5, 2025.
Dhanush claims that the documentary used the footage without his consent, violating copyright law. Netflix India, however, argued that the court lacked jurisdiction as its office is based in Mumbai and that Dhanush should have obtained permission to sue all defendants involved, not just Netflix. They also highlighted that a 2020 photo from the movie set was uploaded without any legal action from Dhanush, indicating a lack of urgency in the lawsuit. Netflix further argued that the suit was filed just a week after the documentary’s release and should be dismissed due to non-compliance with pre-suit mediation requirements under Section 12A of the Commercial Courts Act.
In response, Senior Advocate PS Raman, representing Dhanush, asserted that the producer holds the copyright to all content created during the film’s production, including behind-the-scenes footage. Raman clarified that Nayanthara had signed a contract stipulating that her appearance in the film’s costumes and hairstyles would fall under the producer’s copyright. He also argued that the infringement only became apparent when the documentary was released, prompting an email to the defendants to cease using the footage, followed by the filing of the lawsuit.
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