Latest news with #DharmaProductions
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Dharma Productions issues statement after sexual misconduct allegations against ‘Homebound' cinematographer Pratik Shah
A day after sexual misconduct allegations surfaced against Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah, production banner Dharma Productions issued a statement, distancing itself from the controversy and reasserting its stance against sexual harassment at the workplace. Shah, who recently attended the Cannes premiere of Homebound, has been accused of predatory and inappropriate behaviour towards multiple women. He was outed online in a post by filmmaker Abhinav Singh, who has based his claims on testimonials of around 20 women. Homebound, shot by Shah, is directed by Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan) and produced by Dharma Productions. A story of friendship and resilience, the film stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor. The Karan Johar-led banner said in it's statement, 'At Dharma Productions we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. The POSH-mandated Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) at Dharma did not receive any complaints against Shah during his association on Homebound, the statement said. 'Mr. Pratik Shah was a freenlancer 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',' the statement read. ALSO READ: Interview | Basharat Peer on the story that became 'Homebound' Besides Homebound, Pratik Shah has shot CTRL, Jubilee and other titles. According to a report in THR India, four years ago, a young female cinematographer had approached the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) with a complaint against Shah after he solicited a nude picture. The publication also accessed the testimonials corroborating Abhinav Singh's claims. The women reached to Singh with accounts of Shah's 'creepy' behaviour, with some labelling him a 'predator'. Shah has not responded to the allegations. He has deactivated his Instagram account since May 30, 2025 (Friday).
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Dharma Productions issues statement regarding sexual harassment allegations against 'Homebound' cinematographer Pratik Shah
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, known for Homebound, faces multiple abuse allegations. Dharma Productions affirmed a zero-tolerance policy, stating no complaints were received during his freelance tenure. Shah deleted his Instagram amid accusations. Filmmaker Srishti Riya Jain criticized the industry's selective attention. Shah hasn't publicly responded; similar claims arose four years ago. Neeraj Ghaywan 's latest project, 'Homebound', which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, has been making headlines for unfortunate reasons. Cinematographer Pratik Shah who worked on the film has faced serious allegations of abuse and inappropriate conduct involving several women. In response, Dharma Productions that has produced the film, led by Karan Johar , has released an official statement addressing the matter. Dharma Productions Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Policy Johar's well-known production company, Dharma Productions, released an official statement on Saturday, highlighting their firm stance of zero tolerance toward any such accusations. The studio's statement said, 'At Dharma Productions, we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual 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'.' Pratik Shah deletes his Instagram profile Cinematographer Pratik Shah, recognised for his contributions to 'Jubilee', 'CTRL', and 'Homebound', has removed his Instagram profile following recent controversies, rendering his social media accounts unavailable. Multiple Allegations and Accusations Surface Multiple women have come forward with allegations against him, some even referring to him as a 'predator.' One woman shared, 'Many women have reached out to me about Pratik and called him a predator.' She further expressed, 'I've spoken out, and now I hear from others. People who've felt silenced or sidelined. It's heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable.' Industry Voices Raise Concerns Writer and filmmaker Srishti Riya Jain drew widespread attention to the allegations against Pratik by sharing them on Reddit. She condemned the film industry's tendency to ignore misconduct by well-known personalities, stating, 'To everyone pretending to act shocked, scandalized, and suddenly awakened… THIS man worked on one of the 'most empathetic' films of the year — or so the interviews at Cannes claimed.' The Reddit thread featured comments from users calling Pratik 'a total sleazeball,' with remarks like, 'He slides into every girl's DMs and talks crap,' and, '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.' No Public Response from Pratik Shah Yet As of now, Pratik has yet to respond publicly to the accusations. Reports from THR India reveal that he encountered comparable allegations four years prior, after which he was apparently dismissed following a formal warning. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Pink Villa
9 hours 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.
NDTV
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Dharma Productions Issues Statement After Homebound Cinematographer Gets Accused Of Sexual Misconduct
New Delhi: Cinematographer Pratik Shah recently came under the radar when several allegations about his inappropriate behaviour surfaced online. He was accused by filmmaker Abhinav Singh, based on testimonies from over 20 women. Pratik had also asked for nudes or offered to send them, claimed Singh after victims reached out to him via Instagram. Now after a day of such claims being made, Karan Johar's Dharma Productions has issued an official statement to offer a perspective to the several statements making the rounds. What Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah was accused of abusive, emotional and inappropriate behaviour. A day after the viral accusation was made by Abhinav Singh, the production house has now released an official statement. It reads, "At Dharma Productions we have a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual 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." The Controversy Pratik Shah has now deactivated his social media account after a severe backlash. Abhinav Singh, who has helmed short films like Sita starring Shriya Pilgaonkar and Amazon Mini TV's Yatri Kripya Dhyan De, featuring Shweta Basu Prasad and Shaheer Sheikh, called Shah incredibly manipulative and abusive. The latter highlighted how he had received several testimonies from women. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a source close to the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) also highlighted that Pratik Shah had come under scrutiny about four years ago. This took place after a young cinematographer contacted a senior IWCC member to report inappropriate behaviour. The woman shared her story and claimed that after reaching out to Pratik Shah on Instagram for work, their conversation went from one thing to another, and soon he asked for her nude snaps. "The girl panicked and reached out to someone senior, who alerted IWCC. A senior member of IWCC reached out to him on WhatsApp and called him out, warning him that this was not acceptable behaviour. He apologized and said it was a one-off incident that won't happen again. This was the investigation that happened, and it was made known that IWCC was cognizant of his behaviour," the source told THR. Abhinav Singh alleged, that over 20 women had reached out to him, calling Shah a "predator." In A Nutshell Homebound's cinematographer Pratik Shah attended the Cannes 2025 Film Festival this year for the film's screening. He was accused of unacceptable sexual advances made towards women, asking for their nudes and sending unsolicited explicit messages to them. Dharma Productions, who has produced Homebound, issued an official statement stating that they have a zero-tolerance policy towards such behaviour. They also added that their association with the accused was limited as he was a freelancer on the project.
Hindustan Times
11 hours 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.
