Nayanthara Vs Dhanush: 7-Year Friendship Turns Bitter Over Money - A Timeline Of Their Feud

Nayanthara-Dhanush Feud Timeline: The actors are currently embroiled in a public dispute. The Jawan actress has written a three-page letter that slammed Dhanush for sending a legal notice demanding Rs 10 crore in damages after the trailer of the documentary, titled Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale, was released online. However, the actor duo were once good friends.

Nayanthara-Dhanush friendship dates back to 2008

Nayanthara and Dhanush shared the screenspace in the 2008 film Yaaradi Nee Mohini. Their chemistry in the romantic drama was widely appreciated critically and commercially. The actors became good friends on the set of the film and this was reflected in the promotional event of the movie.
 

Their chemistry was not just appreciated in the movie but also in the pre-release events. They went on to star together in several hit films like Maari (2015), Kaashmora (2016), Ethir Neechal (2013) and Kuselan (2008) among others.

When Dhanush's film Naanum Rowdy Dhan gave Nayanthara's career a new lease of life after comeback 

In 2011, Nayanthara decided to quit films. This decision is now being linked to her alleged affair with Prabhudeva, who reportedly stopped her from working in films. However, when the Lady Superstar decided to make a comeback in 2013, the film Raja Rani emerged as a box-office blockbuster.
 

The projects following this did not work out well for the actress. It was only in 2015 that Nayanthara gave a hit with Naanum Rowdy Dhan which was directed by her husband Vijay Sethupathi. The movie was produced by Dhanush. The roots of animosity between the actors were sowed during the production of the film Naanum Rowdy Dhan.

How Naanum Rowdy Dhan became a bone of contention between Nayanthara and Dhanush 

The 2015 film was produced by Dhanush and was directed by Nayanthara's husband Vignesh Sivan. It was reported that the 3 actor was not happy with the production of the film and the performance of the actress. It was alleged that Sivan exceeded the film's budget for which the actress had to pitch in funds from her own pocket.
 

Even though the film was a success at the box office, it was said that it was a financial liability for Dhanush. The delays in production led to massive cost overruns on the film. This led to a cold war between Nayanthara and Dhanush.

When Nayanthara took an indirect dig at Dhanush for the first time 

Nayanthara's performance in Naanum Rowdy Dhan was widely appreciated by the critics and audience alike. However, it was said that Dhanush did not like her acting in the project. The actress even won several awards for her role and during the acceptance speech at one such event, she said, "Thank you, Dhanush, for initiating NRD (Naanum Rowdy Dhaan), and I have to say I am sorry also. Dhanush absolutely hated my performance in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. Sorry Dhanush for disappointing you with my performance. I’ll probably make it better next time.”

Nayanthara exposes Dhanush in her documentary 

Nayanthara planned a documentary on her love life with Vignesh Shivan which featured parts of Naanum Rowdy Dhan. Even after a 2-year long battle, Dhanush refused to give an NOC to the actress to use the clips from his production. This led to the documentary being pivoted to another direction and focusing on her entire life. This led to the actress writing a 3-page open letter to the actor. The 39-year-old actor said she was shocked after receiving a legal notice for using a three-second behind-the-scenes clip in the documentary.

Nayanthara said she would be giving a “befitting” reply to Dhanush’s notice through lawful means. Nayanthara noted that the film was released almost 10 years ago but Dhanush continues to act “vile while wearing a mask in front of the world”. Dhanush is yet to react to the letter.