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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Hansal Mehta demands investigation into ‘Homebound' cinematographer Pratik Shah after s*xual harassment allegations: 'Victims need voice'
Filmmaker has called for urgent action and accountability after serious misconduct allegations surfaced against cinematographer Pratik Shah. In a strongly worded note shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mehta insisted that silence around abuse must end and predators should be held responsible without delay. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Hansal Mehta breaks his silence Known for directing films like 'Shahid' and 'Citylights', Hansal didn't hold back in his message. Referring to the allegations made against Pratik Shah, he urged the industry to investigate the growing pattern of powerful men abusing their positions. Mehta began his statement by saying, '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.' Calling out toxic behaviour in the name of 'genius' Mehta also called out the common practice of labelling harmful behaviour as 'passion' or 'creative genius'. 'The mindset that allows toxic environments to flourish in the name of 'passion' or 'genius' must end,' he stressed. His post continued, '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.' Who is Pratik Shah? Pratik Shah worked as the cinematographer for 'Homebound', the only Indian feature film shown at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by and produced by 's Dharma Productions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now After the allegations surfaced, Shah deleted his Instagram account. Several women have accused him of s*xual misconduct, with some calling him a 'predator'. One woman said, 'Many women have reached out to me about Pratik and called him a predator. I've spoken out, and now I hear from others. People who've felt silenced or sidelined. It's heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable.' Dharma Productions responds Dharma Productions issued a statement about the accusations, 'At Dharma Productions, we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and s*xual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. Mr. Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project 'Homebound' and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn't receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film 'Homebound'.'
Pink Villa
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
‘Call out predators': Hansal Mehta urges investigation against Homeboud cinematographer Pratik Shah after s*xual misconduct allegation
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah was accused of serious misconduct and abusive behavior. In response, filmmaker Hansal Mehta has urged for a comprehensive inquiry into the pattern of predatory actions by powerful men in the industry. Known for films like Shahid and Citylights, Mehta posted an extended statement on X (formerly Twitter), stressing the importance of accountability, and also called for an investigation. He emphasized that survivors should not be left to endure their trauma in silence. In his X post, Hansal Mehta began, '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.' See post here: Mehta emphasized that abuse of power is not limited to any one gender, noting that women in influential positions have also been responsible for causing harm. He pointed out that abuse can manifest in various forms, not just s*xual, but also mental, emotional, and psychological, which can be equally damaging. Mehta further remarked that toxic behavior in creative environments is often masked as 'passion' or 'genius,' a mindset he believes must end. He stressed that no artistic pursuit, whether a film, script, or any other project, is worth compromising an individual's safety or mental well-being. The note further read, '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.' Meanwhile, Dharma Productions recently broke its silence on the accusations and stated that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment against anyone associated with their projects, treating such cases with utmost seriousness. They clarified that Pratik Shah was engaged as a freelancer on the film Homebound for a limited duration, and his association with the production has since ended. During his time working on the project, their internal POSH committee did not receive any complaints against him from the cast or crew involved with Homebound. Following the emergence of allegations on social media, Pratik Shah took down his Instagram account. He has not issued any official statement addressing the accusations so far. Shah was the cinematographer for Homebound, the sole Indian feature film showcased at this year's Cannes Film Festival. The film, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, was produced under the banner of Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Hansal Mehta calls for investigation of ‘predatory behaviour' in film industry after allegations against Pratik Shah
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah faced serious allegations of abuse and inappropriate conduct on Friday. Now filmmaker Hansal Mehta has called for a 'thorough investigation' of predatory behaviour by men in positions of power. The directors behind films like Shahid and Citylights shared a long note on X (formerly Twitter) to comment on how there needs to be accountability and victims cannot suffer in silence. (Also read: Dharma Productions addresses abuse allegations against Homebound DoP: 'Our internal committee didn't receive complaints') In his X post, Hansal began, '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.' He went on to add, '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. No art, no film, no script is worth the cost of someone's safety or sanity.' The note further read, '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.' On Friday, Hansal had released a statement via his Instagram Stories saying, 'Serious allegations of predatory behaviour have emerged against cinematographer Pratik Shah. These must be hard. Because if they aren't, like so many before, this too will fade – and once again, predatory behaviour will be forgiven in the name of art.' He added, 'I say this with a sense of deep scepticism- because hypocrisy is everywhere. Predators will flourish, as they always have. Abusers will be celebrated for their 'art'. And the survivors? They'll be left to carry their trauma alone, trying to make sense of their shattered careers and stolen safety.' Pratik Shah deleted his Instagram account after allegations surfaced on social media. He is yet to respond to the allegations in a statement. He shot Homebound, the only Indian feature film which was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year. It is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and backed by Karan Johar's Dharma Productions.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
When Rajkummar Rao fired his cook for disrespecting wife Patralekha: 'Aap apna bag pack kijiye'
Rajkummar Rao and Patralekha are one one of the cutest couple in the B-town. In a recent show, comedian Raunaq Rajani invited Rajkummar along with comedians Abish Mathew and Urooj Ashfaq to discuss relationship advice. The conversation went on to discussing home cooks and Rajkummar had an interesting story to share. (Also read: Bhool Chuk Maaf review: A tiring comedy where time loops, laughs lag and Rajkummar Rao hits refresh again) In the show called RelashionShit Advice, Raunaq discussed how his chef doesn't regard his wife much, which borders on disrespect. He listens to only the male in the house and looks through his wife, but they haven't fired him because he is a good cook. Rajkummar jumped into the conversation and gave an example where he and wife Patralekha were facing a similar situation. 'I'll tell you an example from our house, and guys, see the difference. We had a cook, he must've been around 48. A great cook! For the first time in my life, I was getting some great Mexican vegetarian food. Otherwise it would just be some hari sabzi and rice (with his earlier cook),' Rajkummar said. Rajkummar further said, "He made a great Mexican platter for me, and after two days, Patra told me, 'Listen, this guy doesn't talk nicely to me. I think there's some issue'. And I could figure out. On the third day, when Patra asked him something, he made a face. But with me, he'd talk with a lot of respect. You know what I did? I called him and said, 'Aap apna bag pack kijiye aur chale jaiye' (pack your bags and leave).' The crowd applauded Rajkummar for taking a stand for his wife. Rajkummar and Patralekhaa dated each other for over a decade, and got married on November 15, 2021. They announced the news on social media, writing, 'Finally after 11 years of love, romance, friendship and fun, I got married to my everything today, my soulmate, my best friend, my family. Today there is no greater happiness for me than being called your husband @patralekhaa. Here's to forever .. and beyond'. They have worked together on various projects, including the highly acclaimed film Citylights and the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. Rajkummar is busy promoting his latest Bhool Chuk Maaf, also starring Wamiqa Gabbi. The film is now running in theaters.
Hindustan Times
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
There's relatable factor in playing small town characters, says Rajkummar Rao
New Delhi, Actor Rajkummar Rao on Friday said the characters he often portrays in films, whether an everyday man or someone from a small town, come naturally to him as he has lived that life. There's relatable factor in playing small town characters, says Rajkummar Rao In a career of 15 years, Rao has portrayed small-town and everyday characters with striking authenticity in films such as "Kai Po Che", "Citylights", "Bareilly Ki Barfi", "Newton" and "Stree". "I have lived this life, I have seen them close, around me… As I have lived that life, so somewhere there's a relatable factor with these characters,' he told reporters at the press conference here. Rao is currently promoting his next film, romantic comedy "Bhool Chuk Maaf", directed by Karan Sharma and co-starring Wamiqa Gabbi. Set in Varanasi, the film features Rajkummar Rao as Ranjan, a man eagerly awaiting his wedding day with his girlfriend Titli . However, he finds himself stuck in a time loop, waking up every day on the morning of his Haldi ceremony. "Comedy is a very specialised form of art; it's not easy. But thanks to Karan, he wrote such a nice story. Thanks to Dinoo , he presented it in such a nice way and now it's all yours," Rao said about the movie. Gabbi, known for shows and films such as "Jubilee", "Khufiya" and "Baby John", said she felt connected with her character, Titli. "I am so glad that people have loved all those characters that I have played. When I read them, I related to them. Hence, I feel my audience will also relate. And I am so grateful that 'Bhool Chuk Maaf' came to me. I enjoyed playing Titli, it was so much fun. I think many girls are going to relate to her," she said. Sharma said both Rao and Gabbi are not just "great actors but also great humans". "I am very blessed that I got an opportunity to work with both of them,' he added. Vijan, who has produced the movie under his banner Maddock Films, said that despite the many successful projects his production house has delivered, he still feels nervous before the release of a new film. "Before the release I feel restless. Every Thursday I feel nervous. There's always nervousness because ultimately the audience is the judge.' "Bhool Chuk Maaf", which also features Seema Pahwa, Sanjay Mishra and Raghubir Yadav, will be released in cinemas on Friday. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
