Vignesh Shivan says losing friendship with Dhanush is his ‘biggest regret’ after public fallout with Nayanthara
The feud between Dhanush and Nayanthara-Vignesh Shivan first became public before the release of her docuseries Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale.
Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan has spoken about actor Dhanush and said that he regrets losing that friendship after the public fallout with Nayanthara. The filmmaker, who is gearing up for the release of Love Insurance Kompany, was in conversation with Gobinath for his YouTube channel. When asked about Dhanush, Vignesh said he will always consider the actor as an important person in his life.

What Vignesh said about Dhanush
During the new interview, Vignesh said in Tamil, “I like Dhanush sir a lot. His birthday is on July 28… and on that same day, my father passed away. I feel a fatherly presence in him, I identify him that way. My biggest loss is losing that relationship. That is also something I feel ashamed about. There must have been a mistake somewhere at some point. For the life I’m living now, Dhanush sir is a very important person to me.”
He added, “I was with him for two years during the VIP shoot. I used to eat only after he ate. Sometimes, we don’t even understand the situation when something happens between people.”
About the fallout
The fallout occurred in 2024, when actor Nayanthara sparked a controversy with a scathing open letter, accusing producer and actor Dhanush of taking legal action against her and her husband, Vignesh Shivan. The dispute centred around a three-second clip from Nayanthara's 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, which was featured in the trailer of her Netflix documentary.
Nayanthara's letter elaborated that while she of course understands things are very black and white when it comes to copyright issues and legal notices, in her eyes Dhanush is losing the battle in the 'court of God' on moral grounds, or lack thereof. It was on the sets of Naanum Rowdy Dhaan that Vignesh and Nayanthara fell in love. The 2015 film Naanum Rowdy Dhan was directed by Vignesh Shivan and produced by Dhanush. Nayanthara was the lead actor alongside Vijay Sethupathi. While Dhanush didn’t respond publicly, he has since taken legal action against the couple and Netflix.
Love Insurance Kompany stars Pradeep Ranganathan and Krithi Shetty. After several delays, the sci-fi romantic drama is set for a worldwide theatrical release on April 10, 2026. Vignesh has directed the film, while the music has been scored by Anirudh Ravichander.
Nayanthara will be seen next in Patriot and Toxic: A Fairytale for GrownUps. Dhanush will be seen next in the action thriller Kara.
ABOUT THE AUTHORSantanu DasSantanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More
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