Source News 18
CHENNAI – National Award-winning actor and filmmaker Dhanush has been served a formal legal notice by the prominent production house Thenandal Films. The banner is seeking ₹20 crore in compensation, alleging that the actor’s failure to fulfill professional commitments has caused significant financial losses over a project that has been stalled for nearly a decade.
The Root of the Conflict: Naan Rudhran
The dispute traces back to 2016, when Dhanush reportedly signed on for a high-profile project titled Naan Rudhran. According to the legal notice issued through advocate A. Chidambaram, the agreement initially saw Dhanush taking on the dual roles of lead actor and director.
The production house claims that while they invested heavily in the pre-production phase, the project never moved into active filming. Key details from the complaint include:
Failed Deliverables: The banner alleges that Dhanush failed to provide a completed screenplay, leading to indefinite delays.
Prioritizing Other Films: The notice claims the actor diverted his “call sheets” (dates) to other projects despite his prior commitment to Thenandal Films.
Broken Promises: It is alleged that when the actor stepped down from directing, he promised to collaborate on an alternative project to compensate the banner, which also failed to materialize.
Financial Stakes and Co-Stars
Thenandal Films asserts they have already spent approximately ₹20 crore on the venture. This expenditure reportedly includes advance payments to Dhanush and substantial remunerations paid to other major stars attached to the film, including Nagarjuna Akkineni and SJ Suryah.
Claim Component Details
Primary Compensation ₹20 Crore (to recover initial investment)
Additional Damages ₹1 Crore (sought if the matter isn’t resolved)
Deadline 1 Week to respond and confirm dates for late 2025
“The project was left midway as Dhanush pursued other films over this one. The banner has suffered immense financial and logistical challenges due to this lack of communication.” — Excerpt from the Legal Notice.
What Lies Ahead
The production house has given Dhanush a one-week window to clarify whether he will honor his commitment by allocating dates before the end of 2025. Failure to do so may result in further litigation in the Madras High Court.
As of now, Dhanush has not issued an official statement regarding the notice. The actor is currently busy with several high-profile projects, including Kara and a recently announced collaboration with director Rajkumar Periasamy. This legal hurdle comes just as the industry appeared to have moved past previous friction between the actor and the Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC) regarding similar grievances.
