Dutta files protest petition against clean chit given to Nana Patekar; says witnesses were not examined, electronic evidence ‘botched up’
Sharmeen Hakim (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 6, 2019)

Rebutting the clean chit given by the Oshiwara police to actor Nana Patekar and three others in the sexual harassment case against them, actor Tanushree Dutta has accused the police of carrying out a “farcical show of investigation” and sought transfer of probe as well as action against the police officers concerned.

In her 40-page protest petition filed in the Andheri metropolitan magistrate court, Dutta has given a breakdown of how crucial witnesses supporting her case were allegedly not examined and electronic evidence was botched up. She has alleged that unlike victims of sexual harassment she was never called to record her statement before a court. She has further claimed that most of the 13 witnesses ‘picked by the police’ were either connected to the accused or working with them.

A magistrate will now decide whether to accept the police’s clean chit given to the accused in June, reject the report or order further investigation. In the June summary report, the police had called Tanushree’s claims ‘false’.

Last year, Dutta had accused Nana Patekar of molesting her during the shoot of a film song in 2008. She had also accused director Rakesh Sarang, producer Samee Siddiqui and choreographer Ganesh Acharya of cover-up. Dutta spoke out after Siddiqui made derogatory remarks against her, saying she was “on her period” to have staged a walkout from the film set so many years ago.

In her petition filed through advocate Nitin Satpute, Dutta has alleged that despite being a complainant in the case she was never informed by the police about the ‘B’ Summary (clean-chit) report. She also said she was for forced to pay for a copy of the report.

Dutta has said that reporter Janice Sequeira interviewed her soon after the incident but Sequera’s statement was ignored by the police. She said that the assistant director of the film was also an eyewitness, and while her statement was partially recorded she was never called to the police station to complete its recording. She has also alleged that another journalist, who was present at the film shoot, was not examined. As per the petition, the police did not even bother to record the statement of the person who had conducted the sting on producer Samee Siddiqui – he had allegedly said “ho gaya hoga aisa touch” about Patekar.

Dutta said two other eyewitnesses, a hair dresser and spot boy, were never called to the police station for recording of statement. She has also claimed that the police recorded the statements of unrelated people – Sudhir Pande, Ramesh Torani and Ratan Jain who were working for CINTAA at the time – and were not present during the incident.

She said that the statements that accompany seizure of the CD against Siddiqui’s “sting” have vital parts missing. She said a 65(B) – a document certifying the authenticity of any content on an electronic device – has deliberately not been taken by the police.

Dutta said Nilesh Pawaskar, the lawyer who had advised her at the time, failed to disclose to her that he had represented Nana Patekar at some time and asked her only to take up the payment issue with the producers despite knowing all that had transpired. Pawaskar told Mirror that the allegations are false and the fact that he represented Patekar was public knowledge. “She should have been better advised by her lawyer.” Pawaskar said.

As police close sexual harassment case against Nana Patekar, here is what they told the court about why Tanushree's allegations don't stand
Faizan Khan (MID-DAY; June 14, 2019)

The Oshiwara police on Wednesday filed a closure report in the form of a B summary and submitted it to the Andheri metropolitan magistrate court in the sexual harassment case filed by actor Tanushree Dutta against actor Nana Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang. They have listed six counts on the basis of which they filed the B summary, one of which says that police investigations revealed no evidence against Patekar. Dutta and her lawyer lashed out at the cops for only recording statements that supported Patekar.

The closure report was filed eight months after Dutta filed a case against Patekar, Acharya, Siddiqui and Sarang, alleging Patekar misbehaved with her in 2008 on the set of the movie Horn Ok Pleassss, while shooting for a special dance number. Confirming the development, senior police inspector at Oshiwara police station, Shailesh Pasalwad, said "The B Summary report has been filed before the Andheri Magistrate court as we have not found any evidence against the accused."

Another officer said, "Since the matter was 10 years old, we were completely dependent on the statements of witnesses who were present at the time of incident. We recorded 13 statements in the matter, which includes those of cameraman, assistant choreographers, back-up dancers, spot boy and makeup artist. A few witnesses were only aware of the delay during the shoot, but nobody knows if Dutta was sexually harassed."

Following are the six counts under which the report was filed:

Allegations against Patekar
Police investigations revealed that there has been no evidence against Patekar as the dancers, assistant choreographers, junior artists, cameramen who were present at the time of the shoot have not supported Dutta's allegations of sexual harassment.

Allegations against Siddiqui, Sarang
Siddiqui and Sarang had informed Dutta that she would be performing solo and Patekar would make a guest appearance. Police investigations revealed that before the song was shot, Dutta had rehearsed for it at Shariq hall in Andheri west on March 14, 15, 16, 18 and 20, 2008 along with dancer Sanjeev Havaldar, who was filling in for Patekar, which Dutta was fully aware of.

Allegations against Acharya
Dutta had alleged Acharya changed the choreography where Patekar was to touch her. Siddiqui, Sarang and Acharya had allegedly not informed her about the change in the dance sequence. Police report states that assistant choreographer Daisy Shah and Jyoti Kamble have not mentioned any change in choreography in their statements.

Dutta lost crores
Another allegation was that due to the mental stress caused by the incident, Dutta could not resume the shoot and lost crores of rupees. She had also claimed that she complained to CINTAA in March 2009, but they closed the matter without any inquiry. The police investigations revealed that soon after the complaint was made to CINTAA, they called a meeting along with 'AMTPPP officials', in which it was decided that Dutta would be compensated with R5 lakh. In the meeting, Dutta had allegedly had not mentioned about anyone misbehaving with her on the sets.

MNS pressuring cops
In her complaint, Tanushree had alleged that after the incident, the producer, director and choreographer along with MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) workers had pressured cops at the Goregaon police station to ensure her complaint — which her father had gone there to file — was not registered. It was also said that her father recorded his statement mentioning sexual harassment, but the cops did not record it.

The original case papers procured from Goregaon police station state that Dutta had refused to appear before the cops to record her statement claiming she is busy on a shoot. According to the papers, her father had only mentioned an attack on Dutta's car by a group of people. He had not made any allegations of sexual harassment in the case.

Period on TV
Dutta had told cops that Siddiqui mentioned in a clip shown on a news channel that she must have been on her period on the day of the contentious shoot. The cops received the video from the said channel and upon inquiring with Siddiqui, he said the reporter had asked him if Dutta cancelled the shoot due to fever, physical stress or her period, to which Siddiqui said she could have done that because she was on her period.

What Nana Patekar Told The Cops
"On March 26, 2008 , I reached Filmistan Studio between 10 am and 11 am. I was unable to do the dance steps and Ganesh Acharya's assistant was helping me with it. I was taking 25 to 30 minutes to learn one dance step. On the other side of the stage, around 30 to 35 feet away from me, Tanushree was doing her steps with assistant choreographers. Later, she went to her vanity van once she was done. After lunch, we were all on the sets. I and Tanushree were dancing, and there was some distance between me and her, but she suddenly left from the shoot, I don't know why. She locked herself in her vanity van. Acharya and his assistant were trying to speak to her, but she didn't respond. As she didn't turn up, the shoot was cancelled and I left for home. Later, I was told by director Rakesh Sarang that Tanushree has alleged that I had misbehaved with her, which I had clarified at the time while speaking with the media that she is like my daughter. Two days later, I recorded the same sequel with actress Rakhi Sawant. After this episode, I and Tanushree once came face to face at the International Film Festival in Goa, we both made eye contact and smiled at each other. After that I never met her."

Tanushree Says
Dutta and her lawyer lashed out at the police for recording only statements which support Patekar. Dutta said in her statement, "Our witnesses have been silenced by intimidation and fake witnesses have been put forth to weaken the case. What was the rush to file a B summary report when all of my witnesses have not even recorded their statements yet? I'm neither shocked nor surprised; being a woman in India, this is something we all have gotten used to. If rape accused Alok Nath got a clean chit and returned to movies, then it was surely not going to be difficult for harassment accused Nana Patekar to get himself or shall we say buy himself a clean chit to continue to bully hapless young women."

"I am tired of fighting alone against oppressors, bullies and a corrupt system. I have better things to do in life with my talent and skills and I need to focus on those, but please don't take this example to mean that you will not be heard when you speak up. Continue to expose these creeps through social media and other platforms so that in the future, people would think twice before troubling an innocent young girl. I still believe that I will get justice and victory will be mine. How, only time will tell," said Dutta.

Her lawyer Nitin Satpute told mid-day, "Police acted negligently to protect Patekar. The statements of many witnesses have not been recorded yet. The statement of witness Shyni Shetty's statement was not recorded completely, moreover, statements of hairdressers Aliza, Wasim and Mir and seven other witnesses were not recorded. Cops have taken statements of those who know nothing. We will appeal before the court to re-investigate the matter."

Earlier, Satpute had claimed to have an audio recording of one of the witnesses where Patekar can be heard pressuring a witness to not speak. However, that recording has not been submitted to the Oshiwara police yet. Responding to the lawyer's statement, Pasalwad said, "They never came to us with any list of witnesses." mid-day had reported on May 15 in 'Witness statements don't support Tanushree's story' about how Oshiwara police had not gotten a single statement corroborating Dutta's allegations. Cops had said they are helpless as witnesses claimed they were unable to recall what happened during the 2008 shoot.

What Is A 'B-Summary'?
A 'B-Summary' report is filed when the police do not find any evidence against the accused to file a charge sheet and seek trial. If the court accepts it, it would mean that they have acknowledged the clean chit given by the police.

The Six Counts
1. Patekar did not sexually harass Dutta, based on statements of dancers, assistant choreographers, junior artists, cameramen
2. Samee Siddiqui and Rakesh Sarang informed Dutta that Patekar would make a guest appearance
3. Acharya did not change the choreography for Patekar to touch Dutta
4. CINTAA acted on her complaint and ensured Rs 5 lakh compensation
5. Goregaon police station was not pressured to drop case against the accused, according to original papers from police station
6. Siddiqui said on TV, reason Dutta cancelled the shoot was because she was on her period

Up To Court Now To Decide On Closure
V Narayan (THE TIMES OF INDIA; June 14, 2019)

Mumbai: The Oshiwara police have filed a report before an Andheri magistrate court stating that the case of sexual harassment filed by Tanushree Dutta against coactor Nana Patekar was “false”. As there was no evidence to prosecute Patekar, the police said while attaching their B Summary or case closure report, they were closing the case. It is now for the court to decide if the case stands closed or is to be carried forward.

The police report added Tanushree had filed the case “because of a misunderstanding and without malicious intent”. The case, lodged on October 6 last year, had marked the launch of the #MeToo movement in India.

Police said the actress had, after first filing a complaint with CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) in March 2008, “settled the matter” the same month after a meeting with the production house for the film Horn OK Pleassss. At the meeting, which took place in front of officials of CINTAA and IFTPC (Indian Film and TV Production Council), the cops said, it was agreed the producers would pay Tanushree “Rs 5 lakh + 10% service tax, and the matter would not be stretched any further.”
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BOMBAY TIMES (June 14, 2019)

According to reports, Nana Patekar has been given a clean chit by the police in the sexual harassment case filed by Tanushree Dutta, last year. The case was closed on the grounds that there was no prima facie evidence against the actor. About a month ago, reports had surfaced that Patekar’s name had been cleared in this case, however, Tanushree told BT that the investigation was still on, and such stories were only an attempt to help the actor’s career. In the complaint filed with the police, she had accused Patekar of misbehaving with her during the shoot of a song for the film Horn Ok Pleassss (2008). She had also accused Ganesh Acharya (who was choreographing the song), stating that he had stepped aside ‘obediently’ when Nana behaved inappropriately with her. When BT reached out to Acharya, about the latest development, he said, “I have also been given a clean chit. I haven’t spoken to Nana Patekar yet, but I am very relieved. We have to trust our judiciary and our cops to do their best. After so many months of working on the matter, the cops have given Nana and me a clean chit. Sacchai ki jeet hui. It’s good that this case has found closure. I am yet to discuss our next step with my team.”
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Tanushree Dutta, who kick-started the #MeToo movement in Bollywood last year, says that actor Nana Patekar, who she had accused of sexual misconduct on the sets of their film Horn OK Pleassss (2009), has not been given a clean chit by the police, contrary to reports
Ismat Tahseen (BOMBAY TIMES; May 18, 2019)

Reports surfaced on Thursday evening about actor Nana Patekar being given a clean chit by the police in the Tanushree Dutta sexual misconduct case. However, Tanushree, speaking to BT from the US, said, “These are just rumours. I have spoken to my advocate Nitin Satpute, who has confirmed it with the police. The investigation is still going on. And yes, it’s true that it’s been slow. As I have mentioned earlier, we had a lot of difficulty in even convincing witnesses to come forth and give their statements. So, only one or two witnesses recorded their statement right after the FIR. After that, we’ve been having a tough time trying to convince other witnesses. Some of them said that they would come forward and speak, but they did not turn up. We got to know that they have been getting dubious calls, semi-threatening stuff, which has got them worried”.

‘IT WAS STRANGE HOW SOME WITNESSES WOULD PROMISE TO SHOW UP AND THEN, EVENTUALLY NOT TURN UP’
Talking about witnesses who have come forward to support Nana Patekar, Tanushree says, “These witnesses are random people, and we don’t know if they were even present on the set that day.” She adds, “As you are aware in film units there is no employer-employee listing that is maintained (at least back then). It’s all informal. So, there is no way to confirm whether that person, who is pretending to be a witness and saying they don’t remember anything, was ever present on the day of the incident that happened ten years ago. What do they mean by saying they don’t remember? This is an attempt to mislead the law. The fact is that, such a thing happened on the set (of Horn OK Pleassss) when there were so many people present and nobody did anything about it. These four people — Nana, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui and director Rakesh Sarang — have gotten away with harassing and threatening me. Later on, when I tried to leave, my car got attacked while I was inside the car with my family. All this took place and everyone around chose to keep quiet back then. So, why would they come forth now and speak up against it? I doubt if any of the original people are even being spoken to. Apart from the core team, there were dancers, technicians, etc, but no one knows who these people are, as there is no record maintained of their names. So, everything is dubious. On top of this, we know that our witnesses have been getting calls and are being told, ‘Oh, why do you want to get into this? Aap ko court ke chakkar lagney padengey, aur baad mein yeh hoga, woh hoga’. A lot of times, people don’t report harassment as they think, ‘Kya hoga? Kuch nahi hoga’. I do hope things speed up with the case; that would be an ideal situation. In fact, initially, when I was still in India, I was hoping that all of witness statements would be done and over with, in a couple of months. It was strange how some of witnesses would promise to show up and then, eventually not turn up.”

‘THE INVESTIGATION IS STILL GOING ON AND WE ARE TRYING TO CONVINCE OUR WITNESSES TO COME FORWARD’
Tanushree says that this battle is far from over for her and everyone involved. “This is an attempt to set an example for the rest of the country as I think that we really need to buckle up our belts when it comes to women’s safety and protection in our country. There has been no ‘clean chit’ or even ‘almost clean chit’ given to Nana, as reported. I have confirmed this with my advocate, who has confirmed the same with the cops. There has been no statement insinuating this. The investigation is on and we are trying to convince our witnesses to come forward. It is not over, and any kind of result or judgment will only come after the investigation is fully over,” she explains.

‘WOMEN STILL DEAL WITH STIGMA OF HARASSMENT AND THEY DON’T SPEAK UP’
Though the going has been tough, Tanushree stuck to her decision. What motivates her? “Well, something had to be done. I have suffered long enough because of the results of that incident. Life did get very tough at times and I don’t want that for anybody else,” she says, adding, “Dealing with the case is a bit of a bother as I am busy with my life here in the US. But when I have started something, I will stick by it. I know that this is not just about me anymore. I have moved on in my life. But there is an entire nation that is still dealing with a lot of stigma when it comes to harassment and crimes of sexual nature. Women still deal with stigma and they don’t speak up. They suffer in silence. If I can help make the situation better, then why not? If someone like me can be harassed, troubled and attacked and nothing comes of it, then what hope is there for those women, who do 9-to-5 jobs in the city and travel by public transport on a daily basis. Many actresses in Bollywood — for fear of losing their jobs — have probably still kept quiet. I know instances of heinous things happening to popular actresses, but they have never spoken about it and they probably never will. But I am in a position to do something about it and if I can make a difference, I will.” 

Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; October 15, 2018)

Last month, Tanushree Dutta talked about being sexually harassed by Nana Patekar on the sets of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss in 2008. Several Bollywood celebrities tweeted in support of her. Among them was actress-turned-author Twinkle Khanna. Tanushree thanked her, but also questioned the writer about her husband Akshay Kumar working with Nana in Housefull 4. When Farah Khan posted a picture with Nana on the way to Jaisalmer for the film’s shoot, the Aashiq Banaya actress slammed her, too, for it.

Since then, things have changed drastically. A few days ago, Sajid Khan, who was directing Housefull 4, was accused of sexual harassment by three women. Akshay tweeted that he has requested the producers of the comic caper to cancel the shoot until further investigation. He also wrote that he will not work with proven offenders and those harassed should be heard and given justice they deserve. Soon after, Sajid stepped down as director and later, Nana also opted out for “the convenience of everybody.”

We asked Tanushree if she feels vindicated. “Let’s say I am not celebrating, yet because there is so much more that needs to be done. I am glad that somebody like Akshay finally decided to put his foot down and has chosen to not work with people such as these. I am also happy that Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao and a couple of other production houses are taking a stand, but I would not want this to be a one-time Right now, the situation is hot, so let’s disassociate and at a later date collaborate again. So, I am just seeing where this is going before I can raise a toast,” she said.

However, the actress feels that whatever happened is a milestone. “Actors taking a stand by disassociating themselves, the Housefull 4 fiasco, production houses like Phantom Films dissolving, MAMI dropping films, and concrete steps being taken are an encouraging thing. Earlier, it was only about me talking, then people supporting me, then more people coming forward with their stories... it becoming an issue on the national level and structures falling. This is what is needed for more people to come forward with their experiences. They need to be assured that they would be heard and their words would have an effect. I want to push the movement. I know there are many people with horrifying stories that are untold and need to come to light,” elaborates the torchbearer of the #MeTooMovement.

Recently, Tanushree has lodged a police complaint against Nana, which she doesn’t want to discuss as investigations are on. Nevertheless, she is waiting for CINTAA to take action. “Not only Nana, but I also want CINTAA to take action against the other three accused — choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddiqui. I want them to be taken to task, too. It would be a big statement that a film body would make. These guys bullied me and pressured me... (so) just one guy dropping from the film does not make me feel vindicated. This is not a revenge campaign. It goes much deeper than that. I lost 10 years of my life, was away from my work, which is my passion,” she says.

At the same time, the actress is grateful for all the support she has been getting. “I appreciate any and all support I got, especially if it is encouraging other people to come forward. Vinta Nanda said she was encouraged by me. Now, people are scared and are thinking, ‘What did we do, who did we do it to?’ because you never know whose name will come up. Some think it will all go away after a while but I don’t want that to happen,” she concludes.

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 1, 2018)

In the last few days, the Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar controversy has gripped the nation. After the former reiterated the latter’s alleged ‘sexual misconduct’ in 2008, what followed could well be the start of a #MeToo campaign in Bollywood. But Tanushree says it’s too ‘early to call it one’. “Other girls need to have the courage to share their stories, only then will it become a movement,” she says. The Aashiq Banaya Aapne actress discusses the 10-year ordeal she and her family have been through and why this time, she won’t retreat in silence. Excerpts…

How difficult have these 10 years been for you?
It’s been extremely difficult. Whenever I would remember the incident, I would be enraged. Of course, the intensity of it has reduced over the years and now, I’ve learnt to make peace with it. The anger was not just about the harassment, but also the mob attack and the kind of trouble my family had to go through at that time. And despite all this, Nana Patekar goes to a set behaving as if nothing happened. On top of this, they are standing in front of the media, spinning lies — one after the other. All four of them (Nana Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, Rakesh Sarang and Samee Siddiqui) and the entire Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) gang were against one person, which is me. Back then, the reporting also didn’t happen out of compassion. There was no one raising an issue or speaking out for me. Today, people have understood that this is an issue that needs to be talked about, thanks to the #MeToo movement in the West. There was no awareness about sexual harassment because it was an unspoken issue in our industry. We are conditioned to accept it because in our films, heroes harass heroines who then fall in love with them. We come from that kind of a society that believes thoda chhed diya toh kya ho gaya? Nana is pretending not to understand the concept of harassment.

Do you agree that things are different today?
Absolutely. Previously, it would be all about ‘Tanushree claims’. Today, TV channels and publications are reporting it the way it is. Earlier, it would be reported in a way where Nana’s picture would be a dignified one whereas that of mine would be from a sexy photo shoot. The imagery itself had set me on a path of defeat. The perception was that this girl was not good. I had become a victim of people’s perceptions. It’s not just me, I think all actresses are.

In what ways?
From the time I entered the film industry, the perception was that I was a bold, sexy actress. In India, when someone calls you sexy, they don’t mean it as a compliment; it has derogatory connotations. I was a quiet person and hadn’t seen this perception building around me till the time this incident. It took me a long time to understand how people were playing it out. I would feel bad about the lack of compassion among my colleagues from the industry. Gradually, I realised that people had an opinion about my films, roles, songs, dressing and overall personality. I was always sassy, I had the sex appeal. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to take such things lying down. It has got nothing to do with my character. The worst thing about our country is that we sometimes fail to differentiate between an actor and her on-screen character. From a slut, I became the problem child, tantrum queen, etc. When you defend yourself, you are called muhfat. And when you keep quiet, people base their judgment on what you wear in your films. It’s always been a double-edged sword.

When you spoke about it for the first time, not many stood by you. Today, an army from the industry is behind you. Did you expect that?
There’s a huge change compared to 10 years ago. Firstly, I was young; I was naïve and had been in the industry for only five years. Also, social media wasn’t big and the #MeToo campaign had not happened. We didn’t discuss things like personal boundary or harassment. In fact, our society always normalised the latter. It was only corporate offices that followed an international structure and had a sense of things. Now, there are people like Swara (Bhasker) and Richa (Chadha) who have been vocal about their activism. Farhan Akhtar has always had an opinion and their tweets were heartfelt.

Did you expect the trolling on social media, calling the controversy a publicity stunt?
I didn’t expect anything. I didn’t come to India to raise this issue. I recently moved to New Jersey where I was busy finding a footing. I had three months to spare, so mom asked me to come home. At the airport, the press noticed me and I was fatshamed. But I spoke my heart out. Then, there were other questions — why I was away, did I stop getting movie offers, was I thrown out? One journalist asked me about the #MeToo campaign. I told them about my incident and how I didn’t get justice. Little did I know that it would spiral into something this big but I’m happy it has. Some trolls think I’m suddenly bringing the issue up now but if you check YouTube videos, I have spoken about it each time I’ve been asked about it in the last decade. So, I never thought of the support or the backlash. I’m anyway used to the latter. How long can the same thing hurt you? It can only destroy you once.

You were given several labels when you accused them of sexual misconduct...
(Cuts in) Yes, because that’s what they could do best. I suddenly became an unprofessional tantrum queen but people tend to forget that we associate these terms only with actresses. So many times, actors report late to the sets or don’t even show up. But most women will tell you how we don’t even have the luxury to be five minutes late. We always are extra careful because it’s easy to pull up a woman and throw these words at her. Wasn’t Nana’s behaviour on the set unprofessional? All of them were wasting everyone’s time and then they did what they had to. I kept telling the director and the producer that I was uncomfortable around Nana. Then I went to my vanity van, really upset. When I came back, I got to know they had decided to include an intimate step between him and me. It was ridiculous and I sensed what was going on. Now, destroying my reputation and credibility is only a way to stop me from speaking out against them.

How has your family reacted to the episode?
Their emotions are getting triggered. I have to counsel them. They aren’t opposing me, but they are breaking down at times. I did take time to detach completely, but I went through the process of healing because I took up this spiritual path. However, my family has not had that and I feel terrible seeing them go through this. They have been in it with me together — they were with me in the car when the goons attacked us. At that point, the only thought I had was whether we would end up at our house or at the hospital. Today, articles and videos are popping up and my parents are reminded of the episode.

What do you expect out of this case?
I want to see if this ends in a similar way like it did the last time. They are trying to do the same things —threatening me with a lawsuit, calling me names and intimidating me. The only difference is that today, people are also living it with me. It’s not about me or anyone else. It can happen to anyone. I had to quit my profession, which I was passionate about and settle somewhere else, because of this man. He should also get an equal punishment. At least for eight years, industry people should stop working with these four men.

Do you want other actresses to come out and share their stories too?
I don’t know. There’s a lot of fear in coming out and speaking about it. Nobody knows it better than me. But now is the miraculous moment when somebody who’s gone through this before is willing to go through it again for you. What’s stopping others from coming forward and sharing their stories? Then, they shouldn’t complain about their voices getting stifled. I hope people get their retribution in some form. Even in the last 10 years, I wasn’t this damsel in perpetual distress. I stayed away from this toxicity because I didn’t get justice and support. With what confidence should I go back to a film set? I can’t trust anyone. What if someone else does it again? People will think Tanushree has an issue with everyone. I was put off by that thought. The faces might change but the situations will remain the same. Today, I don’t have such thoughts.

Actress on why she’s taking on her alleged molester after 10 yrs
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; September 28, 2018)

Back in 2008, actress and former pageant queen Tanushree Dutta had accused Nana Patekar of misbehaving with her verbally and physically during the shooting of a song for the film Horn OK Pleassss.

She also said that the film’s choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddique, ganged up against her, witnessing everything, but not interfering.

While Nana had responded by calling a press conference to refute her claims, Tanushree’s car was vandalised on the sets of the film.

Ten years on, the actress who’d retreated from the spotlight soon after the incident, has spoken up again, hailing it as the advent of the #MeToo movement in Bollywood.

Patekar dismissed her claim during a conversation with Mirror Now. “What can I do about it? Tell me? How would I know?” he asked with a laugh, adding, “What does she mean by sexual harassment? There are 50–100 people on the sets with me. Will see what I can do legally,” the 67-year-old actor said.

Rakesh Sarang, director of Horn Ok Pleassss, backed Patekar during an interview to a daily recently. “She misunderstood his encouragement. See, if your boss wants to flirt with you, he won’t do it in a public area.  He will call you in his cabin,” he argued.

Tanushree spoke to Mirror about the controversy. Excerpts:

Did Hollywood’s #MeToo movement inspire you to open up on this 10-year controversy?
It definitely inspired me, more so because there had been no resolution. Nana has continued to tarnish my reputation over the last 10 years by spreading lies. He has caused irreparable damage to my life and property. He should be taken to task.

Why didn’t you take him to court 10 years ago?
They threatened me (Nana and Rakesh Sarang), saying, “Abhi tu police station ke chakkar laga rahi hai, baad mein court ke chakkar lagaegi.” Ten years later, they are trying to intimidate me with a court case again.

Did you shift base to the US because of this incident? You took to spirituality and quit on your film career?
To a large extent, yes. I was so traumatised by the incident that I chose to stay away from film sets. I would get plenty of offers, sometimes I would like the script and agree to a narration, but then I would be afraid of coming across another Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya. Nana is still trying to intimidate me but now his true colours have been revealed, the façade of the respectable manoos and actor is crumbling in front of the media.

Ganesh and Rakesh have come out in support of Nana, saying nothing like this happened on the sets, and it’s a publicity gimmick to orchestrate a Bollywood comeback.
They have been spreading lies about me for a decade, but they cannot do it forever. People have started believing me. Ten years ago, they crushed my spirit with the help of a political party, spoke against me in the media trying to project me as an unprofessional actor, they even tried to discredit me as a person. But I have now decided to stand up for myself and show this man for who he really is. Respectable men don’t threaten women with court cases.

In 2008 you approached the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) demanding compensation for damages to your property and reputation. The director has said in a recent interview that they conceded to your demands.
Not true. I got no settlement, not even my payment. Even if they edited me out of the film, I should have been paid. The doors were shut for me. Nana, the director, producer and Ganesh spun a web of lies. They harassed me, called in goons who damaged my car and damaged property and intimidated me. These associations don’t do much for a woman in such a situation.

Have you received any support from the industry over the last few days despite not having done a film in eight years (her last film was Apartment in 2010)?
Yes, many people have come forward to speak on such issues. I have opened the door, given people a different perspective. To quote from the Bhagavad Gita, “Karm kiye ja, phal ki chinta mat kar” which is apt for a situation like this when you are literally waging a war for justice. I know what I’m doing is right.

How did your family deal with the situation?
My family was with me when I was attacked in the car in 2008. My dad got me out of the car. Then, the cops arrived and got us out of the studio. Their counter FIR lead to my hairdresser and spotboy being sent to jail and my dad and lawyer had to bail them out. My family went through a tough time. That man (Nana) will pay for what he has done to them. This is not just my battle anymore.

Your sister Ishita is an actress too and is a part of the industry. Aren’t you worried that it will impact her career?
No, I’m not worried. My case was an exception. Yes, people try to get cozy but they understand your body language and back off. But they pass snide remarks on the sets like, "Angoor khatte hai" and fan gossip. This case was different. Nana misbehaved with me. I was pushed around, called names, goons were hired to damage my car. I rehearsed for three days. It was supposed to have three-four days of shoot but then Nana demanded ‘intimate’ moves steps in my song that were not part of the original plan and the harassment began.

Same old story: Film's director points finger at Tanushree Dutta for accusing Nana Patekar of sexual harassment on set
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 27, 2018)

It has taken Bollywood close to a year to wake up to the #MeToo movement. In the past 11 months since actors in the West named and shamed their sexual predators, B-Town stars have applauded their international counterparts for their bravado while diplomatically maintaining a studied silence on the ugly side of the Hindi film industry. In what could well be the first step towards initiating a much needed change in the industry, Tanushree Dutta, on Tuesday, accused co-star Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on the set of Horn Ok Pleassss in 2008.

In separate interviews to Zoom TV and News18, she alleged that Patekar insisted on featuring alongside her in a song that was initially supposed to be a solo dance number. Dutta also spoke about how the actor "misbehaved" with her, and would "grab and push me around" on the set. She also called out producer Sami Siddiqui, director Rakesh Sarang and choreographer Ganesh Acharya for their inaction after she voiced her concern, leading to her opting out of the song. Her revelations have not gone down well with the director. Speaking to mid-day, Sarang claimed that his advice to Dutta would be "to move ahead". He felt she is "probably creating a controversy because she may want to make a comeback".

Challenging Dutta's claims, the director said, "Tanushree is saying that Nathni Utaro [the title of the song] was a solo dance that she rehearsed for. In that case, she must have heard the song during the rehearsals itself. Why doesn't she remember that the song had a male voice too? It was always supposed to be a duet song." Siding with the film's male lead, Sarang further said that Dutta "misjudged Nana's encouragement. He was shooting for a song after many years, so he was excited about it. She misjudged everything, including his encouragement. See, if your boss wants to flirt with you, he won't do it in a public area; he will invite you to his cabin. There were around 400 people on the set that day. Will anybody take advantage in front of 400 people?"

Dutta's ordeal didn't end there — she claimed that at Patekar's behest, a political party had vandalised her car after she refused to shoot the song with him. However, the director attributed the episode to a scuffle between her and a reporter. It may be noted that Dutta had spoken out against Patekar in 2008 itself, but to no avail. She had also approached the Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA), demanding compensation for damage to her property and reputation. "The incident was resolved by CINTAA. We conceded to her demands. Now if she is bringing it up, I think Nana can seek legal recourse," said Sarang.

Choreographer refutes Dutta's claims
Tanushree Dutta also accused choreographer Ganesh Acharya, who was allegedly recommended for the song by her, of pandering to Nana Patekar and not paying heed to her discomfort during the song shoot. In a chat with News18, Acharya dismissed Dutta's claims that the song was designed as a solo number.

"When I was called for rehearsal, I was told that Nana ji was also there in the song. I don't have the agreement because we used to do it verbally then. The song didn't involve any kind of indecent step in the first place," he said. Refuting her claims of being sexually harassed, he also asserted that Patekar was a "very sweet person and can never do that."