Nayathara clapped back at Dhanush — and showed why she’s the ‘Lady Superstar’

Such a nationalist confrontation with 1 of the astir almighty movie personalities of India is uncommon if not unprecedented. Nayanthara, whose 20-year-long vocation spans Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, whitethorn beryllium called “Lady Superstar” and “Thalaivi” (Tamil for pistillate leader), but Indian movie industries person remained stubbornly male-dominated. By pushing back, Nayanthara proves that erstwhile manager Vishnuvardhan says successful the documentary, “Nayan is inactive Nayan due to the fact that determination is thing that tin intimidate her. Whoever it is,” it is not specified hyperbole. As if to underline her refusal to backmost down successful her defiance, connected November 20, Nayanthara posted a database of producers, including Shah Rukh Khan, A R Murugadoss, Chiranjeevi and Ram Charan Teja, expressing her “gratitude” for granting her NOCs.

The documentary, which promises to “explore a never-before-seen side” of an histrion who is known for keeping her beingness private, started streaming connected November 18 midnight to people her 40th birthday. Hours later, came the teaser of Rakkayie, an upcoming Tamil-language play drama, that shows a lone Nayanthara, equipped with sickles and chilli powder, taking connected a radical of baddies.

The archetypal fractional of Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairy Tale establishes Nayanthara’s prima powerfulness and recounts her tumultuous travel arsenic an actor. Born Diana Mariam Kurian, the histrion was spotted by manager Sathyan Anthikkad successful a jewellery advertisement published successful a magazine. He formed her successful the Malayalam-language Manassinakkare (2003). Barely 18, she was pursuing a grade successful English lit successful a Thiruvalla assemblage then. Following this, she shared surface abstraction with Mohanlal successful Natturajavu (2004) and Vismayathumbathu (2004). She branched retired to Tamil and Telugu films soon after, grabbing attraction with Chandramukhi (2005) and A R Murugadoss’ Ghajini (2005).

Nayanthara’s ascent arsenic a superstar started with her occurrence successful Tamil cinema, particularly boosted by the Vishnuvardhan-directed gangster movie Billa (2007). After being fat-shamed for her quality successful an “item” opus successful Ghajini, she took viewers by astonishment with her glamorous crook successful Billa, wherever she plays a quality with grey shades and appears successful a bikini. With her compelling portrayal of Sita successful Sri Rama Rajyam (2011), amid disapproval and uncertainty expressed implicit her casting, she went connected to grow her fanbase. She played the protagonist successful Nelson Dilipkumar-directed Kolamaavu Kokila (2018) and the pb successful thriller Imaikkaa Nodigal. Both were large hits and registered awesome opening figures cementing her superstardom. In 2023, with Shah Rukh Khan-starer Jawan (2023), Nayanthara gained pan-Indian appreciation arsenic NSG serviceman Narmada Rai whose slo-mo introduction scenes underlined her prima power.

In Beyond the Fairytale, assorted colleagues chime successful connected however Nayanthara came to clasp the presumption she does. Actor Radhika Sarathkumar describes with awe, her quality to bid the attraction of viewers, portion Parvathy, speaking of her stardom, says, “She (Nayanthara) did each that astatine a clip erstwhile it was akin to witchcraft”. Director Nelson believes that “women-centric films should besides person commercialized worth too”, thing that Nayanthara was capable to do. She managed to bid attraction adjacent erstwhile sharing surface abstraction with large antheral stars similar Rajinikanth and Nagarjuna Akkineni. But then, arsenic Tamannaah Bhatia sums up: “To interruption the pattern, you person to beryllium portion of the pattern.”

All this speech of her prima powerfulness would travel crossed arsenic specified vox popular successful work of her location production, had it not been for Nayathara’s societal media showdown with Dhanush. The absorption of viewers mightiness good person been connected the communicative of her uncovering emotion with a chap foodie and their dreamy wedding, arsenic depicted successful the documentary. What her nationalist clapback, however, makes wide is the darker broadside successful each fairy tale, of struggling to find and clasp one’s abstraction successful a male-dominated industry, and that the “Lady Superstar” remains much than susceptible of dealing with it.