The Tamil superstar Dhanush has become embroiled in litigation of unprecedented dimensions as the blockbuster production house Thenandal Films has apparently written him a legal notice. The production company is requiring an astonishing ₹20 crore in damages for breach of contract on a film project that has been pending for nearly a decade.
The actor's woes are only making matters worse, as his high-profile intellectual property standoff with actress Nayanthara over her Netflix documentary has resulted in a lawsuit.
The dispute: A Decade-old promise
The conflict is reported to date back to 2016, when Dhanush signed the contract of Thenandal Films for Naan Rudran. Delayed Promise: Rather than going ahead with Naan Rudran, Dhanush subsequently offered to steer, and tell a different story, for the banner to honor the commitment.
Financial Loss
The production house reportedly has already paid roughly ₹20 crore for advances and pre-production expenses, amounting to payments made to other high-profile stars like Nagarjuna and S.J. Suryah already as part of this initial plan.
Timeline
Thenandal Films has allegedly allotted the actor's dates (call sheet) within late 2025 or early 2026. So the actor, working on projects like Idly Kadai and Tere Ishk Mein, continues with a packed routine; the filmmaker's studio has had to turn to the courts in order to recover losses now. A History of Legal Strain? This twenty-crore Indian sale target was not the only cost battle Dhanush must fight.
The Nayanthara Row
The production house of Dhanush, Wunderbar Films, is in pursuit of a civil case against Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan, seeking ₹1 crore (down from an initial ₹10 crore), accusing them of illegally using a three-second clip by Naanum Rowdy Dhaan.
The Raanjhanaa Copyright suit
The production house Eros International recently submitted a ₹84 crore litigation against director Aanand L. Rai and the producers of Dhanush’s film Tere Ishk Mein alleging that it inappropriately exploits the IP of their 2013 hit Raanjhanaa.
What’s Next for the Actor?
Dhanush, who is currently at the peak of his directorial and acting career, has not released an official statement about Thenandal Films’ warning. In the case of no deal, they say, if the parties do not reach agreement through the Producers Guild the matter could reach the Madras High Court. The world of fan speculation was that the actor would change his busy 2026 schedule to accommodate the long project being a big deal or settle a lawsuit.
