Homebound Cinematographer Accused Of Abuse By Filmmaker Abhinav Singh

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Cinematographer Pratik Shah deletes Instagram after emotional abuse allegations by filmmaker Abhinav Singh spark outrage and fresh claims from others online.
Cinematographer Pratik Shah — best known for his work on Amazon Prime Video's Jubilee, the upcoming feature CTRL, and Homebound, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival — is at the centre of serious allegations involving emotional abuse, manipulation, and inappropriate conduct. The controversy erupted after independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to Instagram to publicly share his personal experiences with Shah, describing him as 'highly manipulative" and 'emotionally abusive."
Singh's candid revelation opened the floodgates, prompting nearly 20 women to reach out to him with similar accounts of troubling interactions with the cinematographer. 'I've spoken out, and now I'm hearing from others — people who've felt silenced or sidelined," Singh stated in his Instagram stories. 'It's heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator."
In a powerful call-to-action addressed to men in the industry, Singh also voiced his disappointment over the collective silence from his male peers. 'Not a single man messaged to ask what happened, to listen, or to offer support. That silence is loud," he wrote. 'Use your privilege to listen — really listen. Use your platform to ask difficult questions. Call out behaviour even when it's inconvenient. Do it not just for your mothers, daughters, and sisters — do it for your friends, colleagues, and peers. Being a man is not about 'being able to get it up.' Being a man — being human — is about showing up."
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.
The controversy deepened when filmmaker and writer Srishti Riya Jain shared a series of posts on her Instagram, alleging that Shah has 'been on the prowl for the past four years." Jain highlighted discussions from Reddit where users had previously flagged Shah's behaviour, describing him as someone who habitually slid into women's DMs and made them uncomfortable. She called out the hypocrisy of the industry in turning a blind eye to such conduct, despite Shah being associated with Homebound — a film that was recently lauded at Cannes for its empathy and emotional sensitivity.
'To everyone pretending to act shocked, scandalised, and suddenly awoken from their slumber… THIS man worked on one of the 'most empathetic' films of the year — or so the interviews at Cannes claimed," she wrote, exposing what she sees as a glaring disconnect between the values portrayed onscreen and the conduct tolerated behind the scenes.
Reddit users also chimed in with firsthand accounts. One user alleged, 'Pratik Shah is a total sleazeball. He slides into every girl's DMs and talks crap." Another recounted, 'He sent me a follow request last year while I was liking a mutual friend's pictures. I accepted it, and he said it was a mistake. I unfollowed him immediately — it felt off."
As of now, Pratik Shah has not issued a public statement addressing the allegations. The film community and social media at large continue to call for accountability, demanding not only transparency but also introspection about how such behaviour continues to go unchecked in an industry that so often projects empathy while failing to practise it internally.
First Published:
May 30, 2025, 14:21 IST