What is Karan Johar's Dharma's stand on s*xual misconduct allegations against Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah? Production House issues FIRST statement

Pink Villa

5 days ago

Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of s*xual abuse.
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, recognized for his contributions to projects such as Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, Vikramaditya Motwane's Jubilee, and CTRL, has come under scrutiny following allegations of misconduct. Filmmaker Abhinav Singh publicly accused him of being "emotionally abusive" and "highly manipulative," citing accounts from several women. In response to the controversy, Dharma Productions has now released an official statement addressing the matter.
In response to the allegations against Pratik Shah, the makers of Homebound stated that Dharma Productions maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding inappropriate conduct and s*xual harassment in any form.
They emphasized that Shah was associated with the project only as a freelancer for a short duration, and his involvement had since concluded. During his tenure, the production house's Internal Committee under the POSH (Prevention of S*xual Harassment) policy reportedly did not receive any complaints against him from the film's cast or crew.
Shah, who was recently seen at the Cannes Film Festival with the Homebound team, has taken down his Instagram account following the emergence of misconduct allegations on Thursday evening.
The accusations were made by filmmaker Abhinav Singh, known for directing short films such as Sita, featuring Shriya Pilgaonkar, and Yatri Kripya Dhyan De on Amazon Mini TV, starring Shweta Basu Prasad and Shaheer Sheikh.
In the aftermath of Singh's disclosure, The Hollywood Reporter India has reported that this isn't the first time Shah has faced such scrutiny.
Approximately four years ago, a young female cinematographer reportedly approached a senior member of the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC), alleging that Shah had asked her to send a nude photo. A source familiar with the IWCC confirmed that the incident had indeed been brought to their attention.
A well-placed source revealed that around four years ago, there was noticeable activity within the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC), as several members began making inquiries about Pratik Shah following reports that some women had faced troubling encounters with him.
One such account came from a young cinematographer who alleged that she had contacted Shah seeking work opportunities. Their interaction reportedly took place through Instagram direct messages over several days, during which, she claimed, the conversation took an inappropriate turn when Shah requested a n*de photograph.
Without disclosing the identities, Abhinav Singh shared with THR India the testimonies of several women, who alleged that Shah behaved inappropriately around them.