Vignesh Shivan opens up on fallout with Dhanush
05 Apr 2026

Filmmaker Vignesh Shivan has expressed his regret over losing his friendship with actor Dhanush.

The revelation came during a recent interview with Gobinath for his YouTube channel, where Shivan was promoting his upcoming film Love Insurance Kompany.

He described Dhanush as an important person in his life and shared that he feels a "fatherly presence" in him.

My biggest loss is losing that relationship: Shivan
Regret expressed

According to Hindustan Times, Shivan said in Tamil, "I like Dhanush sir a lot. His birthday is on July 28... and on that same day, my father passed away. I feel a fatherly presence in him, I identify him that way."

"My biggest loss is losing that relationship. That is also something I feel ashamed about. There must have been a mistake somewhere at some point."

Shivan on his close bond with Dhanush
Close bond

Shivan further elaborated on his close bond with Dhanush during the shooting of VIP.

He said, "I was with him for two years during the VIP shoot. I used to eat only after he ate."

"Sometimes, we don't even understand the situation when something happens between people."

The fallout between Shivan and Dhanush happened in 2024 when Shivan's wife and actor Nayanthara wrote an open letter accusing Dhanush of suing her and Shivan over copyright issues.

The controversy and legal battle
Fallout details

The controversy began over a three-second clip from Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, a 2015 film directed by Shivan and produced by Dhanush.

The clip was used in the trailer for Nayanthara's Netflix documentary, Beyond the Fairytale.

Dhanush reportedly filed legal action against both Nayanthara and Shivan.

The Jawan actor wrote in her letter, "The vengeance that you have been festering against the film...doesn't just affect us but the people who have given their effort and time toward this project."

'Love Insurance Kompany' and Dhanush, Nayanthara's next
Film details

Shivan's upcoming film Love Insurance Kompany stars Pradeep Ranganathan and Krithi Shetty.

After multiple delays, the sci-fi romantic drama will finally hit theaters worldwide on April 10.

Shivan has directed the film, and Anirudh Ravichander has composed its music.

Meanwhile, Nayanthara is set to appear in Patriot and Toxic: A Fairytale for GrownUps, while Dhanush will be seen in the action thriller Kara.