In Netflix’s documentary Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale, the actor breaks her long-standing silence on past relationships that have shaped her personal and professional life. Without taking any names, Nayanthara candidly addressed the emotional and social challenges she faced during the turbulent phases of her personal journey.

“My first relationship was completely based on trust, the belief that the other person loves you,” she said, referring to her first high-profile relationship in the industry, which was supposedly with actor-filmmaker Silambarasan TR . The two were often in the news during the making of their directorial debut Vallavan. The relationship, once celebrated as the ideal match of rising stars, ended abruptly after controversies including the unauthorized leak of a private image.

Nagarjuna, who was shooting for Boss with Nayanthara at the time, recalls the impact it had on him. “It was a tumultuous time in their relationship. In fact, as soon as her phone rang, we would get scared because it would switch off immediately. She became a different person.”

After the breakup, Nayanthara busied herself with work and acted in several films to cope with it. But just as she was finding her feet, her relationship with choreographer-turned-director Prabhu Deva became widely discussed during their collaboration in Villu. “He was the man who told me to leave cinema,” she says in the documentary, adding that the relationship caused her to consider walking away from the career she loved.

While their romance led to the public announcement of marriage plans, it faced intense scrutiny, with Prabhu Deva’s then-wife Lata refusing to grant a divorce. The pressure increased, which eventually led to their breakup. Despite personal turmoil, Nayanthara continued to focus on her work, even winning her first Nandi Award for Sri Rama Rajyam. Reflecting on the backlash she faced for playing Sita, she said, “Just because I never addressed my past openly, people started writing their own stories. They started assuming the worst. How come none of the boys were asked anything?”

His decision to return to acting after a two-year hiatus proved to be a turning point in his life. “When everyone thought I was done,” she says, “Nagarjuna called me with a proposal.” Nagarjuna, who believed in her resilience, said, “Somebody told me she was ready “

His career resurgence took a turning point in 2015 with Naanum Rowdy Dhaan, a film produced by Dhanush and directed by then newcomer Vignesh Shivan. What started as a professional collaboration soon turned into a romantic relationship. After years of courtship, the couple got married on June 9, 2022 and later welcomed twin boys – Uir and Ulag – into their family.

Nayanthara: Beyond the Fairytale will release on November 18 and can be streamed on Netflix.