MUMBAI: As Indian cinema mourns veteran actor Nana Patekar, former actor Tanushree Dutta has offered a sharply different response, reviving memories of the sexual harassment allegations she made against him during India’s #MeToo movement.
Several Bollywood stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Anil Kapoor and Salman Khan, joined others in paying tribute to Patekar and remembering his work. Dutta, however, spoke about the personal toll of the controversy that began in 2018.
After news of Patekar’s death emerged, Dutta described him as “evil”. Her remarks drew criticism, including from the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA). She later defended her response, saying people should also consider the experiences of those who come forward with allegations of harassment.
“I’ve been so troubled,” Dutta said, recalling the years since she spoke out during the #MeToo movement. She alleged that people had pressured her to withdraw her case but said she had refused.
“I was offered temptations, but I didn’t take it back,” she said.
Dutta also described what she said were a series of troubling incidents after she made the allegations. She claimed that someone had cut her car’s brakes and said she later suffered an accident and food poisoning.
“Every person’s situation is different. I’ve spoken from my perspective,” she said.
‘What an odd day’
Dutta had first addressed Patekar’s death in a series of Instagram Stories on Thursday, October 8. At the time, she said she had heard the news but wanted to focus on her professional commitments in Lucknow, where she was due to attend an event.
“What an odd day for all this to happen,” she said, explaining that she had planned to go live on social media and publish work-related content.
She worried that media attention would shift towards her response to Patekar’s death. Referring to him as “evil dead”, she said she would comment further after deciding how she wanted to respond.
Dutta also offered condolences to Patekar’s family.
‘The scars cannot be wiped out’
In a later interview with Mid-Day, Dutta spoke about the emotional impact of the controversy and the years that followed her allegations.
She said her life had become difficult and that she had recently considered leaving Mumbai to settle in a town known for its temples because she no longer felt safe.
“I don’t know if I am ever going to feel safe after everything that I have endured over the last five to seven years,” she said.
Dutta added that even if the person she believed had caused her suffering was no longer alive, the consequences of her experiences would remain.
“You can never wipe it out — the scars of this experience since 2018,” she said.
The 2018 allegations
Dutta accused Patekar of sexually harassing her while they were filming the 2008 movie Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Patekar denied the allegations.
The dispute became a prominent part of India’s #MeToo movement in 2018, prompting wider debate about workplace harassment and the treatment of people who speak publicly about alleged abuse.
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The allegations and the subsequent dispute remained a sensitive part of Patekar’s public legacy, even as colleagues and admirers remembered his contributions to Indian cinema.
