Dhanush and Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth Officially Divorced; Actor Files Suit Against Nayanthara

Tamil actor Dhanush and filmmaker Aishwaryaa Rajinikanth have officially parted ways after the Chennai Family Welfare Court granted their divorce. Reports from Sun TV and News18 confirm that the couple, who cited irreconcilable differences and stated that they could no longer live together, finalized their separation recently.

The divorce case had been scheduled for hearings three times before, but both Dhanush and Aishwaryaa were unable to attend any of the earlier sessions. Married since 2004, the duo share two sons, Linga and Yatra. Although they now live separately in the Poes Garden area of Chennai, they continue to co-parent their children, who spend time with both parents.

The separation was first publicly announced by Dhanush on January 17, 2022, via a post on X (formerly Twitter), where he stated, “18 years of togetherness as friends, couple, as parents and well-wishers to each other. The journey has been one of growth, understanding, adjustment, and adaptation. Today, we stand at a place where our paths separate.” Aishwaryaa shared a similar statement on her social media handles.

In a separate legal dispute, Dhanush has filed a civil suit against actor Nayanthara and her husband, filmmaker Vignesh Shivan. The lawsuit, submitted to the Madras High Court, accuses the couple of using visuals from the 2015 Tamil film Naanum Rowdy Dhaan—produced by Dhanush’s Wunderbar Films Private Limited—without permission in the Netflix documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale.

The Hindu reported that Dhanush’s production company is seeking damages for the unauthorized use of a three-second behind-the-scenes clip from the film. The suit also names Nayanthara and Vignesh’s production house, Rowdy Pictures Private Limited, as defendants.

This legal dispute follows a public criticism by Nayanthara, who alleged that Dhanush had refused permission to include footage from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan in her Netflix documentary. She further claimed that he had sent a legal notice demanding ₹10 crore in damages. The court has scheduled the next hearing, where Nayanthara is expected to respond to the allegations.