Nayanthara, Dhanush And The Dirty Picture Of Indian Film Industries

“I just want everyone to feel a little bit of happiness when they see other people’s happiness”—This is how the renowned South Indian actress Nayanthara responds to a question in the trailer of Nayanthara-Beyond the Fairytale, about her intent behind making the Netflix documentary. But the storm that kickstarted before the documentary’s release on Netflix has been far from a fairytale.

Recently, the “Lady Superstar” (as Nayanthara is popularly called) has been embroiled in a controversy with Tamil actor Dhanush around the use of a 3-second Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) clip from her film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015) in the trailer of the documentary. Reportedly, Dhanush—who heads Wunderbar Films, which produced Naanum Rowdy Dhaan—has sued the producers of the documentary for Rs 10 Cr for using the clip without an NOC from him. In response, Nayanthara wrote a scathing open-letter to the actor-producer, accusing him of “holding a personal grudge” against her and “festering a vengeance against the film, her partner and her.” In her letter, Nayanthara has alleged that she waited over two years for an NOC from Dhanush to use clips and songs from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in the film. But due to his refusal to sanction the same, she had to settle for using BTS clips, that were “shot in personal devices” during the making of the film.

The debate over copyright infringement vis-a-vis the usage of BTS clips from a film without an NOC from the producer is a tricky one. It depends on the presence of very specific clauses in the contract between the actors and the producers. However, the ongoing controversy has revealed a far murkier underbelly of film industries and fan cultures on social media platforms. Countless accounts, claiming to be members of Dhanush’s “Fan Clubs”, as well as several local news outlets, have unleashed a relentless attack on the actress for her open letter. While some are justifying Dhanush’s move and questioning Nayanthara’s ethics and integrity, others are resorting to vicious trolling and slut-shaming of the actress.

The deeply embedded misogyny in the public trial of Nayanthara is uncomfortably reminiscent of the 2011 film The Dirty Picture, starring actress Vidya Balan as Silk. Loosely based on the life of actress and dancer Silk Smitha—a rage in the 80s South Indian cinema—the film was a sharp commentary on how assertive, self-made women struggle to make a mark in the galaxy of male stars. In a pertinent scene in the film, Nayla (Anju Mahendru), a renowned film critic visits the superstar Suryakant (Naseeruddin Shah) on his film set for an interview. Through their banter about the short shelf life of actresses in Indian cinema, they arrive at the topic of Silk. Though Suryakant initially raves about Silk being a talented actress, he eventually commends Nayla for calling Silk “downmarket” in her review. To this, Nayla coyly retorts, “Likhna hi padta hai Surya Sir. Aadmiyon ko sadhu banane ke liye, ladkiyon ko shaitan banana hi padta hai” (One has to write such things, Surya Sir. To portray men as saints, girls must be portrayed as the devil).

This exchange from The Dirty Picture is a grim reflection on the kind of shaming and trolling that Nayanthara is being subjected to on social media. Her open letter has publicly called into question Dhanush’s intent behind withholding the NOC for Nayanthara to use clips of herself in her documentary. It has also brought back earlier events into limelight, like the 2016 Filmfare Awards where Nayanthara apologised to Dhanush after receiving her award for the Best Actress, as he had allegedly “hated” her performance in Naanum Rowdy Dhaan. These issues seem to have spurred social media fan clubs to cast aspersions on the actress.

Silk’s journey in The Dirty Picture—as a self-made woman who is hungry to be a part of the profession— can also be seen in the sentiments that Nayanthara has expressed in her letter. Nayanthara’s struggle to become the “Lady Superstar” —without prior connections in the industry— is recognized by several other actresses in the South Indian film industries, who acknowledge how Indian cinema continues to be a largely male-dominated space. The Dirty Picture sees Silk being pulled down repeatedly by the men around her, especially those that she falls in love with. In her acceptance speech at an award function, Silk points out how she has repeatedly been used by actors and producers alike as a “boarding pass” for the “take-off” of their films but only been called “vulgar” by them in return. Yet, she resolves not to let their veneer of civility shame her from pursuing her dreams.

Unfortunately, Silk’s journey in The Dirty Picture ends on a tragic note. She is pulled down by the man’s world into obsolescence. However, in Nayanthara’s assertion and refusal to succumb, there is still hope that the tide will turn.