Actor-filmmaker Dhanush’s production house Wunderbar Films Private Limited is now pursuing a civil suit against actor Nayanthara and her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan for using behind-the-scenes footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan (2015) in their documentary Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairytale without authorization.

According to multiple reports, the production house is seeking Rs. 1 crore in damages from the duo, while also alleging that Vignesh displayed “unprofessional behaviour” and prioritized Nayanthara over the rest of the Naanum crew while filming.

Dhanush’s affidavit reportedly reads, “The fourth respondent (Mr Sivan) unnecessarily began focusing his attention only on the third respondent (Ms Nayanthara) ignoring the other cast and crew of the movie by taking multiple re-takes of scenes to make sure she gives her best performance and not prioritising the other actors.”

The suit comes after the Madras High Court refused to entertain an interim injunction since the disputed documentary released last year. The main suit will be heard on April 9.

The row became public in November after Nayanthara addressed an open letter to Dhanush, accusing the actor-filmmaker of harbouring a grudge against her and alleging that Wunderbar refused to provide an NOC to use footage despite two years of “repeated requests”.

Actor Nayanthara and husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan have reportedly revealed that they got their marriage registered six years ago, in an affidavit produced amid controversy surrounding the birth of their twins via surrogacy.

The couple, who had an intimate wedding ceremony in June this year, announced the birth of their sons on October 9. According to the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act of 2021, however, a couple should be married for five years to be eligible for surrogacy, and the surrogate should be a married relative with a child of her own.

Now, according to a report in onmanorama.com, the couple has submitted an affidavit and a marriage certificate to the Tamil Nadu health department, claiming they got their marriage registered six years ago. They have also claimed that the surrogate is Nayanthara’s relative from the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Nayanthara and Shivan held a wedding ceremony in Mahabalipuram in June. On October 9, Shivan announced the arrival of their twins on social media, with the caption, “Nayan & Me have become Amma & Appa. We are blessed with Twin Baby Boys. All Our prayers, our ancestors’ blessings combined with all the good manifestations made, have come together in the form of 2 blessed babies for us. Need all your blessings for our Uyir & Ulagam. Life looks brighter & more beautiful. God is double great. (sic)”

Debutant filmmaker P S Vinothraj’s Tamil film Koozhangal, which has been making waves on the film festival circuit over the past year, has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars.

Talking to us, Vinothraj says, “I am extremely happy and I mean it straight from my heart. More than my work, I’d say this film belongs to my team. Right from its origins, the film grew into what it is today because of my team’s support. I’d like to thank the two actors Karuthadaiyaan and Chellapandi, my cinematographers Vignesh Kumulai and Jeya Parthipan, and editor Ganesh Siva at this moment. We just wanted to make a simple and honest film. And we all journeyed together with nothing but hope. It felt great when the film went to various festivals and connected with the audiences there. And now, the (Oscar) jury here has also loved the film and have chosen it as India's official entry to the Oscars. I feel elated.”

Quiz him on why the film has worked with audiences from various parts of the world, and he says, “The feedback I have been getting is that the film feels so pure and original. And nature supported me and gave me back something. Our team followed nature and that’s what has taken this film on this journey. At the film fests, people come up to me and say that the story is also something that happens in their own hometowns and that they are able to connect with it so much.”

Vinothraj says that he should thank his producers for taking his small film all the way to the Oscars. “I should thank the people who have brought the film this far, because they placed so much trust in it and promoted it. My producer Nayanthara ma’am, Vignesh Shivan sir and Sai Devanandam sir, who was initially the producer of the film... they were the ones who were extremely hopeful that the film will do something wonderful, so when that's actually happening, I am excited and happy,” he says.

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The news of Koozhangal being India’s Oscar entry has come as a surprise for director Vignesh Shivan, who has produced the film along with Nayanthara. Talking about why the film has managed to garner acclaim, he says, “Vinothraj has made the film in an unadulterated way, based on the lives he has seen and been part of, and that instantly comes across when anyone watches this film. It has gone to around 35 film festivals across the world and the one thing that everyone has remarked about is that it is pure cinema. Since we had already won at Rotterdam, we were not in the competition section at many of these festivals, but every jury has made a special mention of this film. Just like how Parasite connected with audiences across the world, even though it was a Korean film, our film has been connecting with audiences wherever it has gone so far.”

Looking at how they ended up producing this film, he recalls, “It was director Ram sir who identified the film and suggested we take over it when it was yet to be completed and needed a producer. Both Nayan and I watched the footage they had shot until then. It was Nayan who took the call that we should step in and produce the film. Once we completed, we applied for the International Film Festival Rotterdam. We did not think it would win there, but ever since it won the Tiger Award, it has been a dream run for us. I don’t think you can desire anything more than having your debut production representing your country at the Oscars.”

Vignesh says that they will set up a base in Los Angeles for the film’s Oscar campaign. “Obviously, we will have to,” he signs off.

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Koozhangal has been to 34 international film festivals so far. Here is a list of some of the awards the film has won in these fests:

- Tiger Award - International Film Festival Rotterdam

- Best Debut Director - Asia Film Awards

- Best Director and Best Actor - Male - International Film Festival Of South Asia

- Best Feature Film (Premio SNCCI) - National Syndicate of Italian Film Critics's ShorTS International Film Festival, Italy

- Professional Achievement Award - Andrei Tarkovsky International Film Festival Zerkalo

- Audience Award - Burgas International Film Festival

Kalki Koechlin is taking in the joys of motherhood — when she is not doing diaper duties, she is playing the ukulele and singing African lullabies to 10-month-old Sappho. "I've had a luxurious year because I have been at home with my baby. If it weren't for the pandemic, I would have been back at work within a few months of my delivery," begins the actor, who will be seen in Netflix's Tamil film, Paava Kadhaigal. The anthology, directed by Gautham Menon, Sudha Kongara, Vetri Maaran and Vignesh Shivan, studies how love, pride and honour influence relationships.

The actor holds Shivan's short film, Love Panna Uttranum, dear as the director went to extreme lengths to ensure she was a part of his story. "I shot for the film in September [2019] when I was five months pregnant. Vignesh wanted to shoot it later, but I told him that I won't be able to do it then because I was due in January 2020. So, he advanced the shoot."

In telling four distinct stories, the Tamil film makes a sharp commentary on casteism and honour killings. Koechlin, who firmly believes that cinema should go beyond entertainment, says the treatment of the subject drew her to the project. "The audience often dismisses dramas, saying that they are too heavy. This film is a black comedy. Here, the subject has been treated in a comic way so that it reaches more people. The idea is to humanise the characters so that people can relate to the story."