Media365
Nana Patekar’s son Malhar Patekar has addressed actor Tanushree Dutta saying that her life became a living hell after she accused the veteran actor of sexual harassment in 2018. Tanushree had spoken after the death of Nana Patekar at the age of 75 in Goa on October 8. Malhar, without naming her, said the issue was resolved legally and was over.
During a chat with Hindustan Times, Malhar said, “Without naming anyone, I want to say that the case people are bringing up unnecessarily is already over. Judiciary se clear hua hain, case khatam ho chuka; phir bhi bol rahe. Aise logo ko mein unko kuch nahi boluga; joh sach hai wahi rahega, bhagwan unka bhala kare, this is what I have to say to them. (Judiciary cleared him, the case is over but people are still speaking. I will not say anything to such people, God bless them).”
He also spoke about Nana Patekar taking up less work in the last decade and a half, Malhar shared, “He didn’t want to do films as it became repetitive, so he wanted to make his own stories. He believed in evolving as an actor, and that he had in mind. I remember him telling me that ‘kaam ek jaisa nahin hona chahiye’.”
“He did Khamoshi because he wanted to show that Nana can deliver his best without those heavy dialogues associated with his numerous characters. More recently, it was social work that kept him at peace and happy; working on bringing schools to Kashmir and also working towards farmers was all that had been going on. And that is now my prerogative, too,” he added.
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Tanushree Dutta, actor, model and a former Miss India Universe, had accused Nana Patekar of sexual harassment and intimidation on the set of the 2009 film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Her allegations sparked India’s #MeToo movement. However, Nana Patekar had dismissed her claims. An FIR was registered against Patekar in 2018, and the case was closed due to insufficient evidence in 2019.
After his death, while Dutta first said she was not sure what sort of reaction she should have, she later spoke about her life since 2018. “People don’t know the state I have been in since the #MeToo movement. The girl who used to work out five days a week, who used to roam around the world without fear, I never had any security issues and no trouble traveling anywhere. After #MeToo, such incidents have happened with me that I can’t even narrate it here on Instagram. Your face will be wet with shame. People don’t know what all has happened to me,” the actor said in a video on her social media handle.
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“In 2024, someone cut the brakes of my car. The goons used to follow me everywhere after the #MeToo movement,” she added.
After Patekar’s death, Tanushree Dutta’s use of ‘evil dead’ phrase in her Instagram Story, led to a lot of backlash on social media. She also alleged that she was just 24 when the sexual harassment incident took place.
Nana Patekar died at 75 in Goa, after suffering a cardiac arrest. The actor was accorded a state funeral to honour his contribution to Indian cinema.
