Showing posts with label Pratik Shah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pratik Shah. Show all posts
My previous statement failed to adequately apologize to the women I harmed-Cinematographer Pratik Shah
11:15 PM
Renuka Vyavahare (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 9, 2026)
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, known for his work on Homebound, Jubilee and CTRL, was accused last year of sexual misconduct, emotional abuse and inappropriate behaviour after various allegations surfaced online. Shah remained publicly silent for nearly a year. It also emerged that a young cinematographer had privately approached the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) five years earlier regarding Shah's conduct. The matter was addressed internally, and Shah had reportedly apologized at the time.
Following the allegations and backlash, Shah lost several major projects. He was reportedly dropped from the Rajkummar Rao-starrer Sourav Ganguly biopic, and his name was removed from the final credits of Yash Raj Films' web series Akka.
Last month, Shah issued his first public apology through a statement to THR India, saying he was "deeply remorseful" for the hurt he had caused and acknowledged failing to recognize the power he held as a person of influence.
The statement, however, drew sharp criticism from the Indian Women Cinematographer Collective (IWCC), which said it was "not an apology" but "a calculated exercise in damage control" aimed at professional reinstatement. A part of IWCC's post said, "Shah's statement is a textbook example of how perpetrators of sexual misconduct weaponize modern progressive language to absolve themselves."
A month later, Shah issued a fresh statement to Mumbai Mirror, acknowledging the criticism. "My previous statement failed to adequately address and apologize to the women I harmed. I understand why the IWCC criticized my words and I accept the criticism. The IWCC was right that language about personal growth, therapy, or sobriety cannot and should not be used to redirect attention from the women. I took conversations that initially started as professional communication on social media into personal and flirtatious territory via messages. I failed to recognize the power imbalance that existed because of my profession and influence in the industry," he said.
Shah further clarified, "I did not offer or withhold work in exchange for favors, relationships, or intimacy, but my position as a cinematographer with hiring power created inherent pressure, ambiguity, and fear. My intentions did not change the reality that the power I held made those interactions online feel coercive, uncomfortable, or difficult to exit. I am deeply remorseful and I recognize and regret that my behavior caused harm, trauma, and lasting distrust for women trying to navigate their careers in a male-dominated field.
"I also recognize that apologies lose meaning with repeated behavior or when past apologies are not followed by lasting change. I know I cannot ask anyone to take my words as proof of change, and I do not expect or feel entitled to forgiveness."
He also addressed the scope of the allegations, saying, "The misconduct I am addressing here occurred on social media. POSH investigations into the productions I worked on have publicly confirmed that no complaints or findings of on-set harassment exist. I mention this only for factual clarity on where my transgressions occurred, not to diminish their seriousness. Misconduct outside of the physical workplace is still misconduct. Professional power can be abused through messages, access, attention and implied opportunity, and I take full responsibility for doing that."
Explaining why he chose to speak now, Shah added, "I am speaking publicly because I believe it is important to take responsibility. I stepped away for some time because I needed to confront my actions honestly. I did not believe an apology would be meaningful until I had begun the difficult work of understanding the patterns in my behavior. I'm truly sorry for the mistakes I have made. I am not asking for sympathy, nor am I asking anyone to treat this statement as closure. Accountability can only be judged by my actions and my willingness to accept the consequences that follow."
We issued a strict warning to Pratik Shah about his unacceptable behaviour-Juhi Sharma
8:31 AM
With Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah under scrutiny for his alleged inappropriate behaviour, filmmaker Juhi Sharma details how the IWCC pulled him up in 2020 after a DoP accused him of sexual misconduct
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; June 6, 2025)
In the past week, as Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah was called out for his alleged inappropriate behaviour and sexual misconduct with women, and dropped from certain projects (After the allegations, time for action, June 2), news emerged that a complaint was previously made against him with the Indian Women Cinematographer Collective (IWCC) in 2020. When mid-day reached out to cinematographer and filmmaker Juhi Sharma, who had alerted the collective in 2020 about the alleged incident, she revealed that the episode involved a young cinematographer who admired Shah’s work and started following him on Instagram.
Sharma was first made aware of the episode by another cinematographer, who told her that her cinematographer-friend had an unsavoury experience with Shah.
Sharma recalled, “The cinematographer told me that the woman had started following Pratik [online], and in conversation, he suddenly asked for nude pictures. She felt very scared. She just wanted to work with him, and he was saying all kinds of [uncomfortable] things to her.” Learning about the alleged incident left Sharma shocked, as Shah and her were friends.
Her next step was to reach out to the IWCC. Soon, Sharma informed the collective of the alleged inappropriate behaviour. “I took it to the collective. I asked them if he had made advances towards anyone else. Nobody else had such an experience.”
Sharma believed that shaming him publicly was not the solution; holding him accountable was important. Concurring with her, the IWCC decided to issue a stern warning to the accused.
“I'm the kind of person, who doesn't believe that shaming someone to the extent of saying 'get out' is going to do anything. I'm of the opinion that yes, people have wronged, but they have to be given one chance to be told you have wronged. Now go back, take note of your actions, don't do it again and come back and tell us how you're going to change. As Indian women in the film industry, it's not like this is the first time it's happening. I've had this uncomfortable conversation with so many men that now I'm just exhausted. I have spoken to men and told them what did was horrible, and that I could go out in public and say this, but I would not. This is what we told Pratik as well, that we could but we wouldn't go public with the complaint. We issued a strict warning to him about his unacceptable behaviour.”
Sharma said, “He apologized and said that he couldn’t believe that he was being construed like this. Over a voice note, he promised that he wouldn’t do this ever again; he even said that he was a champion of women. I shared that voice note with the rest of the collective. After that, for years, I didn’t hear any complaints, and it seemed like he had changed. He even hired an all-women crew.”
The recent accusations, however, suggest otherwise. On May 29, filmmaker Abhinav Singh called out Shah, citing the testimonies of multiple women who accused him of being “emotionally abusive” and soliciting nude pictures after conversing with them online.
"We gave Pratik a chance to change, but he didn't. That time has passed."
How is the IWCC taking the matter forward? Sharma said, “We have a no-tolerance policy for such cases. On May 30, the senior members asked people, who have had such unfortunate experiences with him or anyone else, to come forward and speak up. The IWCC is taking cognizance of the matter.”
mid-day reached out to Shah, who did not respond till press time.
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In the wake of accusations against Pratik Shah, producers to propose appointment of an advocacy officer on projects to Producers’ Guild; role to entail investigation of sexual harassment cases
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 6, 2025)
The rising accusations against cinematographer Pratik Shah have once again highlighted the subject of women’s safety in the entertainment industry. mid-day has learnt that in light of the recent events, 10 producers from Producers’ Guild of India are now rallying behind a plan to appoint an independent advocacy officer on projects. The proposal will be submitted to the Guild in the next meeting that is slated for mid-June.
A senior member of the Guild says that the need for an advocacy officer stems from the lack of a streamlined redressal mechanism for sexual harassment cases in the industry, despite the provision of Internal Complaints Committees (ICCs) in many production houses.
The Guild member, who is readying to kick off a project for Netflix, shares, “In Hollywood, advocacy officers are common. What separates them from an ICC is that they are an independent entity roped in to address sexual harassment claims by ensuring an impartial process for the accuser and the accused. They conduct thorough investigations by gathering evidence, interviewing the accuser, the accused, and any relevant witnesses while ensuring confidentiality. After investigating, they make recommendations for disciplinary action that can range from warnings to termination, depending on the severity of the allegations.” The responsibilities also include educating employees to recognize and prevent harassment, and ensuring that production houses have functioning ICCs. Often, lawyers and/or social workers are selected for the role.
In the draft proposal, the producers have recommended that the advocacy officer be funded through a pooled contribution from producers, guilds, and talent agencies. This will ensure the officer’s independence, reducing the risk of conflicts of interest that hamper ICC.
(From left) Siddharth Roy Kapur, Monisha Advani and Shibasish Sarkar are part of the Guild
Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah accused of abuse and inappropriate behaviour
9:18 AM
Pratik (left) was accused of being highly manipulative and emotionally abusive towards women by filmmaker Abhinav Singh (right)
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; June 2, 2025)
On Thursday evening, filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to Instagram and accused cinematographer Pratik Shah of being “highly manipulative and emotionally abusive” towards women. Pratik is best known for his work in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee, CTRL and Neeraj Ghaywan’s recent Cannes outing Homebound, where he was present with the film’s team.
Abhinav’s Instagram stories stirred up a hornet’s nest. In a post, the filmmaker, who had directed the short film Yatri Kripya Dhyan De, said that multiple women reached out to him to share their testimonies, and some even posted them on their own social media handles, narrating their experiences with Pratik. The latter deactivated his Instagram account soon after.
Dharma Productions, producers of Homebound, in a statement on Saturday, 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 did not receive any complaints against Shah from any cast or crew during his association on Homebound."
According to THR India, a complaint was lodged against Pratik with the IWCC (The Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective) four years ago by a young cinematographer, and the Collective warned him, stressing that such behaviour is unacceptable. Why was there no accountability despite this step? Was merely a warning enough? Why was this information not in the public domain? This has largely been the sentiment.
When we investigated the matter, a source told Bombay Times, “IWCC is a forum. It’s a collective with no legal standing. It’s not an organization. It was formed by female technicians 7-8 years ago, and the complaint made to them was anonymous. They took cognizance of it in the best way they could. The forum tries to provide women with a safe space.”
We reached out to Vikramaditya Motwane, Neeraj Ghaywan and Pratik Shah, who hadn’t responded till the time of going to press.
On Saturday, Hansal Mehta shared a note on X, which read, “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. 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 (sic).”
He added, “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. 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 (sic).”
After sexual misconduct allegations, cinematographer Pratik Shah removed from Shefali Shah's next
10:32 AM
Sources say in light of alleged inappropriate behaviour, Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah dropped from Shefali Shah’s next; makers of Sourav Ganguly’s biopic set up inquiry against him while IWCC takes note of complaints
Priyanka Sharma, Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 2, 2025)
The Hindi film industry is infamous for perpetuating the culture of silence. But this time around, it has responded swiftly to allegations of Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah’s inappropriate behaviour. mid-day has learnt that the cinematographer has been dropped from Shefali Shah’s yet-untitled film, which is slated to roll this week.
This development comes after independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh, on May 29, cited the testimonies of multiple women and called Pratik “emotionally abusive” and “manipulative”. Taking to Instagram Stories, Singh revealed that the women’s testimonies stated that Pratik behaved like a “predator” and would often solicit or send unsolicited nude pictures of himself. Soon after Singh’s allegations came to light, it was reported that Pratik, five years ago, was investigated by the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective (IWCC) after a young cinematographer had complained against him for soliciting a nude picture.
An insider reveals, “In light of these serious accusations, the team of Shefali’s film has decided to drop him. The makers are looking for a replacement, and the project will roll in a few days.”
This may not be the only project to take action against the cinematographer. It has been heard that Pratik’s association with the Sourav Ganguly biopic, helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, has also been put on hold. An internal inquiry has been ordered on the matter.
“After the Cannes première of Homebound, Pratik flew to the UK for the biopic’s recce. But now, an Internal Complaints Committee [ICC] has been formed to investigate the claims against him before any decisions about his involvement are made. The pre-production on the project continues as scheduled.” Before this, Pratik worked with Motwane on Jubilee (2023) and CTRL (2024).
With the episode putting the spotlight on women’s safety in the film industry once again, the IWCC has taken cognizance of the allegations. “Considering a complaint was registered with them against Pratik in 2020, the IWCC has promptly taken note of the matter. It has asked female cinematographers to come forward to share their experiences, if any, with Pratik. They are looking into it seriously,” says a source.
Two women from different parts of the entertainment industry also reached out to mid-day and shared their accounts of alleged misconduct by Pratik. The accounts mirror the cinematographer’s supposed pattern of initiating contact on Instagram or dating apps, with conversations soon turning “lewd”, and involving sending unsolicited or soliciting nude pictures and sexual voice notes.
Pratik has yet to respond publicly to the allegations. He deactivated his Instagram account shortly after the accusations came to light.
Homebound makers issue a statement
Dharma Productions, which backed Homebound, issued a statement after Pratik Shah was accused of inappropriate behaviour.
It read, “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 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 Homebound.”
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