Nayanthara Strikes Back: Why she’s respected by her peers

In the letter, Nayanthara wrote that after “battling it out” with Dhanush for an NOC (No Objection Certificate) and for his permission to use Naanum Rowdy Dhaan’s “songs or visual cuts, even the photographs” for the documentary, they finally re-edited and settled for the current version.

Also read – Nayanthara opens up about past relationships, accepts she quit films ‘because the man asked me to’: ‘I trusted easily’

Such a public confrontation with one of the most powerful film personalities of India is rare, if not unprecedented. Nayanthara, whose 20-year-long career spans Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, may be called ‘Lady Superstar’ and ‘Thalaivi’ (Tamil for woman leader), but Indian film industries have remained stubbornly male-dominated. By pushing back, Nayanthara proves what director Vishnuvardhan says in the documentary, “Nayan is still Nayan because there is nothing that can intimidate her. Whoever it is.”

The documentary, which promises to explore a never-before-seen side of an actor who is known for keeping her life private, started streaming on November 18 midnight to mark her 40th birthday. Hours later, came the teaser of Rakkayi, an upcoming Tamil-language period drama, that shows a lone Nayanthara, armed with sickles and chilli powder, taking on a group of baddies.

The first half of Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale establishes Nayanthara’s star power and recounts her tumultuous journey as an actor. Born Diana Mariam Kurian, the actor was spotted by director Sathyan Anthikad in a jewellery advertisement published in a magazine. He cast her in the Malayalam film Manassinakkare (2003). Barely 18, she was pursuing a degree in English literature at a Thiruvalla college then. Following this, she shared screen space with Mohanlal in Natturajavu (2004) and Vismayathumbathu (2004). She branched out to Tamil and Telugu films soon after, grabbing attention with Chandramukhi (2005) and AR Murugadoss’ Ghajini (2005).

Nayanthara’s ascent as a superstar started with her success in Tamil cinema, especially boosted by Vishnuvardhan’s gangster film Billa (2007). After being fat-shamed for her appearance in an “item” song in Ghajini, she took viewers by surprise with her glamorous turn in Billa, where she plays a character with grey shades and appears in a bikini. With her compelling portrayal of Sita in Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), amid criticism and doubt expressed over her casting, she went on to expand her fanbase. She played the protagonist in Nelson Dilipkumar’s Kolamavu Kokila (2018) and the lead in thriller Imaikkaa Nodigal (2018). Both registered impressive opening figures cementing her superstardom. In 2023, with Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Jawan (2023), she gained pan-Indian appreciation as NSG officer Narmada Rai whose slo-mo entry scenes underlined her star power. In Beyond the Fairytale, various colleagues chime in on how Nayanthara came to hold the position she does. Actor Radhika Sarathkumar describes her ability to command the attention of viewers, while Parvathy, speaking of her stardom, says, “She (Nayanthara) did all that at a time when it was akin to witchcraft.”

All this talk of her star power would come across as mere vox pop had it not been for Nayanthara’s social media showdown with Dhanush. The focus of viewers might well have been on the story of her finding love with a fellow foodie and their dreamy wedding, as depicted in the documentary. What her public clapback, however, makes clear is the darker side in every fairy tale, of struggling to find and hold one’s space in a male-dominated industry, and that the ‘Lady Superstar’ remains more than capable of dealing with it.