Latest news with #IndianWomenCinematographers'Collective
Pink Villa
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
What is Karan Johar's Dharma's stand on s*xual misconduct allegations against Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah? Production House issues FIRST statement
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.
Mint
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah deletes Insta after accused of abuse by Abhinav Singh; multiple women speak out
Cinematographer Pratik Shah has been accused of abuse and misconduct by multiple people. Recently, independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to Instagram and accused Pratik. He also indirectly called him 'highly manipulative' and "emotionally abusive". Pratik Shah is best known for his work in films Jubilee, CTRL and Homebound. Abhinav initially shared a warning message on his Instagram, urging his female followers to be careful around a cinematographer, without mentioning any name. He shared, 'To my female friends: Please be cautious around a certain cinematographer I've encountered-he's highly manipulative and emotionally abusive based on my personal experience. If you want details, feel free to DM me.' After some time, he added, 'The number of women who've reached out to me is honestly frightening. I feel like I'm having a Margot Robbie moment from Bombshell. I will not be silenced. And to those who are still employing him – f**k you. His name is Pratik Shah. He's a cinematographer.' Abhinav Singh posts against Pratik Shah. Abhinav claimed that several women reached out to him about the cinematographer after sharing the post. 'I've spoken out, and now I'm hearing from others — people who've felt silenced or sidelined. It's heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator.' Filmmaker-writer Srishti Riya Jain posted a series of screenshots on her Instagram stories to amplify several accusations against Pratik on Reddit. She said that Pratik has 'been on the prowl since 4 years'. She also accused the film industry has 'selective attention span and gaze' when it comes to acclaimed people. '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 shared. In a screenshot of the alleged Reddit post, someone called Pratik 'a total sleazeball.' 'He slides into every girl's DMs and talks crap,' the user added. Another claimed, '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." Reddit post against Pratik Shah resurfaces. Amid this, Hindustan Times reported that Pratik has deactivated or deleted his Instagram account. He is yet to address the allegations against him. However, this is not the first time that Pratik has faced such bold allegations against himself. As per THR India, about four years ago, the cinematographer faced a similar situation. A young cinematographer filed a complaint against him with the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC), alleging that he had inappropriately solicited a nude photograph from her. Reportedly, he had apologised to the woman and was left with a warning. Pratik's latest film Homebound was recently screened at Cannes Film Festival 2025. Directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, it stars Ishaan Khatter, Vishal Jethwa and Janhvi Kapoor.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah deletes Instagram amid abuse allegations; multiple women share stories
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, known for his work on Jubilee, CTRL and Homebound, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, has been accused of abuse and inappropriate conduct. Independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to Instagram to amplify accusations of abuse against Pratik, indirectly describing him as 'highly manipulative' and 'emotionally abusive'. Abhinav first wrote a note of warning on his Instagram, asking his female friends to be wary of the cinematographer. He also asked them to reach out to him on DM should they wish to know more information. A few hours later, he wrote, 'The number of women who've reached out to me is honestly frightening. I feel like I'm having a Margot Robbie moment from Bombshell. I will not be silenced. And to those who are still employing him – f**k you. His name is Pratik Shah. He's a cinematographer.' Abhinav wrote that numerous women reached out to him about the cinematographer since then, writing, 'I've spoken out, and now I'm hearing from others — people who've felt silenced or sidelined. It's heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator.' Filmmaker-writer Srishti Riya Jain also posted a series of screengrabs on her Instagram stories, claiming that Pratik has 'been on the prowl since 4 years'. She highlighted accusations on Reddit against Pratik 'sliding into every girl's DMs'. '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. Since the controversy broke on Instagram, Pratik has deactivated or deleted his account. When searched, his account shows a 'Sorry, this page isn't available' message. The cinematographer hasn't addressed the allegations against him at the time of writing. However, many on social media continue to call for accountability if the allegations are true. THR India reported that Pratik faced similar allegations four years ago when a young cinematographer filed a complaint against him in the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) after he solicited her for a nude picture. He had apologised to her back then, reportedly calling it a 'one-off incident' and was left off with a warning.
