After Pratik Shah Accusations, Hansal Mehta Urges Industry To ‘Call Out Predators'

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2 days ago

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Hansal Mehta emphasized that predatory behaviour by those in power must be investigated. His post comes amid emotional abuse allegations against Homebound DoP Pratik Shah.
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has shared a post on social media, in which he urged the film industry to stand against abuse of power. He wrote that 'predatory behaviour' by individuals in positions of power must be thoroughly investigated, and if found true, must be called out. He made it clear that abuse of power is not just confined to one gender, and that women in authority can also be abusers. Mehta also pointed out that often workspaces cloak toxicity in the name of 'passion' or 'genius', and added that no film or script is worth the cost of someone's safety. His post comes amid emotional abuse allegations against Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah.
Hansal Mehta shared a lengthy note on X (formerly Twitter), and wrote, 'Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear. Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out — unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to silence survivors. That silence must be broken. But let's be clear — abuse of power is not confined to one gender. Women in positions of authority, too, have inflicted harm. Abuse has many forms. It is not always sexual. Mental, emotional and psychological abuse can be just as scarring. Just as violating. Workspaces — especially creative ones — often cloak toxicity in the name of 'passion' or 'genius.' That must stop."
Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear.Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out — unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to…
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) May 31, 2025
He further added, 'No art, no film, no script is worth the cost of someone's safety or sanity. Victims need voice. They need redress. They need a system that listens — and acts. Accountability is not cancel culture. It is culture correction. We owe it to ourselves, and to those who come after us, to make our spaces safer. Cleaner. Kinder. Call out the predators. Call out the habitual abuser. Hold them accountable. Let no power be above decency."
Homebound Cinematographer Pratik Shah Accused Of Emotional Abuse
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, known for his work on acclaimed titles like Homebound (directed by Neeraj Ghaywan), Jubilee (by Vikramaditya Motwane), and CTRL, has come under public scrutiny following allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The accusations surfaced after independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to social media, describing Shah as 'emotionally abusive' and 'highly manipulative,' citing testimonies from multiple women.
On Friday, Abhinav Singh shared a note on Instagram, advising his female friends to be cautious of the cinematographer. He mentioned that several women had reached out to him regarding the cinematographer's alleged predatory behavior. Filmmaker-writer Srishti Riya Jain also shared a series of screenshots on her Instagram stories, alleging that Pratik has 'been on the prowl for 4 years'.
In the immediate aftermath of the backlash, Pratik Shah appeared to deactivate his Instagram account. As of this writing, his handle displays a 'user not found" error, indicating that it has either been deleted or disabled.
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