Dhanush In Legal Trouble: Production House Seeks Rs 20 Crore Compensation Over Shelved Project

Actor-filmmaker Dhanush has landed in legal trouble as a production house reportedly served him a legal notice, seeking Rs 20 crore in compensation over a shelved project. The legal notice is served by the production house, Thenandal Films. The National award-winning actor is given one week to respond.

Dhanush in legal trouble

According to reports, the production house has claimed that Dhanush signed a movie titled Naan Rudran with them in 2016, but the film didn't take off. He left the project, assuring the production banner that he would make another film with them.

The notice was served by the company’s legal counsel, which stated that Dhanush had committed to both starring in and directing the film. The company agreed to make the changes, and it claimed that the actor failed to provide the complete screenplay, which delayed the project.

The complaint also alleged that it had spent up to Rs 20 crore in advance and also paid for stars like Nagarjuna Akkineni and SJ Suryah, who were supposed to star alongside Dhanush.

The legal notice has asked Dhanush to confirm within a week whether he will fulfil his earlier promise by giving dates before the end of 2025 to complete the project. Thenandal Films has sought repayment of the amount spent, along with an additional Rs 1 crore if the actor fails to respond within the stipulated time. Further legal action will also be taken if the matter is not resolved.

Dhanush is yet to respond or issue any statement on the matter.

Dhanush's upcoming films

On the work front, Dhanush was seen in Kuberaa, Idli Kadai and Tere Ishk Mein in 2025. Next, he has Vignesh Raja’s Kara, scheduled to release in theatres this summer. The release date is yet to be announced. He also has another project, tentatively titled D55, with Amaran filmmaker Rajkumar Periasamy. The film also stars Sreeleela and Sai Pallavi in significant roles.