FULL TEXT: Nayanthara’s three-page letter to Dhanush

CHENNAI: Leading actor Nayanthara held nothing back in the three-page open letter addressed to actor and producer Dhanush, in the latest squabble between the two over his refusal to grant permission to include clips and songs from the film ‘Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’, the Nayanthara-Vijay Sethupathi starrer that Dhanush produced. It was directed by Vignesh Shivan, with whom Nayanthara fell in love and married.

Also Read: All-time low, speaks about your character: Nayanthara hits out at Dhanush over legal notice

Here is the full text of the letter:

Dear Mr. Dhanush K Raja,

S/o Kasthoori Raja, B/o Selvaraghavan

This is an open letter to you in order to set several wrong things right.

A well-established actor like you, with the support and blessings of your father and your brother, an ace director, needs to read and understand this. Cinema as we all know is a fight for survival for people like me: a self-made woman with no links in the industry and someone who had to struggle my way to the position I hold today. I’d owe this to my work ethic that is no secret to all who know me but more importantly, to the goodwill of the audience and my film fraternity.

The release of my Netflix documentary has been much awaited by not just me but so many of my fans and well-wishers. It took a whole team of collaborators and film friends to pull together the project through all the difficulties that were thrown at us.

The vengeance that you have been festering against the film, my partner and I, doesn’t just affect us but the people who have given their effort and time towards this project. This NetFlix Documentary about me, my life, my love and marriage includes clips of many of my industry well-wishers who have graciously contributed and memories from multiple films, but sadly does not include the most special and important film, Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.

After two long years of battling it out with you for an NOC (No Objection Certificate) and waiting for your approval for our NetFlix documentary release, we finally decided to give up, re-edit and settle for the current version since you declined to permit the usage of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan songs or visual cuts, even the photographs to say the least despite multiple requests.

The songs of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan are appreciated till date because the lyrics came from true emotions, knowing that there's no better music that we could use in our documentary, your refusal to give us the opportunity to use it, or even just lyrics from the songs, broke my heart.

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.

What’s even more shocking is your legal notice after the release of the trailer of the Netflix Documentary. We were startled to read those lines wherein you questioned the usage of some videos (just 3 seconds) which were shot in our personal devices and that too BTS visuals that are already very much publicly present on social media and claimed a sum of Rs.10 crores as damages for the mere 3 seconds. This is an all time low from you and speaks so much about your character. I wish you were half the person you portray to be on stage in audio launches in front of your innocent fans but clearly you do not practice what you preach, at least not for me and my partner.

Does a Producer become an Emperor controlling the lives, freedom and liberty of all the persons in the set? Any deviation from the Emperor’s dictum attracts legal ramifications?

I am in receipt of your legal notice and we shall respond to it befittingly through lawful means. Your refusal to give NOC for use of elements of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan for our NetFlix documentary might be justified by you to the Courts from copyright angle but I wish to remind you that there is a moral side to it, which has to be defended in the court of God.

It’s almost been 10 years since the release of the film and it is a long time for someone to continue to be this vile while wearing a mask in front of the world. I have not forgotten all the horrible things that you said about the film that was one of your biggest hits as a producer and a film that is loved by all even today. The words you said pre-release have left some unhealable scars to us already. I learnt through film circles that your ego was supremely hurt after the film became a blockbuster. Your displeasure over its success was perceptible even to common man through award functions connected with this film (Filmfare 2016).

Leaving apart business competition, prominent persons in public life largely do not tamper with others’ private lives. Courtesy and decency mandates large hearted behaviour in such matters. I believe the people of Tamil Nadu, or anyone with the right conscience would not appreciate such tyranny, even if it comes from an established personality like you.

Through this letter I only wish and pray that you come to peace with your inner self over the success of some people whom you knew from the past.

The world is a big place, it’s meant for everyone.

It’s okay for people you know to come up in life.

It’s okay for normal people with no background in cinema to make it big.

It’s okay if some people make connections and are happy.

It doesn’t take away anything from you.

it’s only an ode to their work, blessings and people’s kindness.

You may fabricate some fake story and pack it with punch lines and deliver it in your next audio launch too but god is watching. I wish to introduce a German word into your vocabulary, “schadenfreude” and ensure that you don’t taste that emotion with us or anyone anymore.

And truly, in this world where it's easy to look down upon people, there is also joy in other’s joys, there is happiness in seeing other people’s happiness and hope that comes from other’s stories. That is the reason behind our NetFlix Documentary. I suggest you also watch it and maybe it might change your mind. It is important to #SpreadLove and I hope and pray that someday you are also fully capable of doing it and not just saying it.

Om Namah Shivaya