Here's everything you need to know about Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar controversy
Former Miss India and Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta, who had been away from the country for quite some time returned, to India in July this year. The Aashiq Banaya Aapne actor opened up about being harassed ten years ago. The 34-year-old actor said she was harassed by actor Nana Patekar on the sets of 2009 film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. A senior journalist and a female who was an AD on the sets of the film have backed Tanushree's allegations.
This is being seen as the beginning of the Me Too movement in Bollyood as several actors including Sonam Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Kangana Ranaut have come out in open in her support.
Here's an entire timeline of the controversy -
1. What exactly happened on the sets of 'Horn Ok Please'
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In 2008, Tanushree Dutta opted out of 'Horn Ok Please' after Nana Patekar and choreographer Ganesh Acharya pressurised her to do an intimate scene with Nana, that was not initially a part of her contract.
Describing the on-set encounter with Nana Patekar, Tanushree told News 18 in an interview, “He was trying all kind of intimidation tactics to rattle me. He was grabbing me by the arms, pushing me around then he would ask the choreographers to move and teach me how to dance, and the next thing I know he wanted to do an intimate sequence with me. It was ridiculous."
“I was literally cornered and I was protesting that I don’t want to do that intimate dance step with him because I was uncomfortable with his proximity on set.”
"Not only was I harassed, but the Manse party attacked me, there was a mob lynching kind of a situation that I had to face. It was a horrific incident that changed the way I was looking at this industry," she said in an interview with Republic TV.
2. Tanushree filed a complaint in 2008
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According to a 2008 Times of India report, Tanushree filed a complaint with Cine and Television Artistes Association (CINTAA) for damage to her property and reputation. After she brought up the matter of Nana Patekar’s misbehaviour, she was replaced by Rakhi Sawant in the movie.
"I had filed a police complaint but before we could lodge an FIR, a counter FIR was lodged by them which caused my family immense harassment."
3. The incident took a toll on her mental health
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The entire incident took a toll on her career and shook her soul to the core. She soon developed post-traumatic stress disroder, after which even the thought of going on a film set petrified her.
“I got some 30-40 film offers after the controversy, but I was suffering from such major fear that I would not even want to go on a film set. Because when you go through such experience you think everybody is like that. You refuse to believe that I have worked with good people also,” she told News18.
Tanushree left a flourishing career in Bollywood to embrace spirituality.
4. Nana Patekar spoke up
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When asked to make a comment on the issue by Mirror Now, Nana laughed and said, "What does she mean by sexual harassment? We were on the set and there were 50-100 people sitting in front of us. Let anyone say anything. I will continue to do in my life what I have been doing. I will see what can be done legally. Let's see. It is also wrong/inappropriate to talk to you (media) since you publish anything."
The 'Welcome' star's lawyer later said that they will take legal action against the former Miss India Universe but Tanushree denies receiving any legal notice.
5. Senior journalist backs Tanushree's claims
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Janice Sequeira- anchor of talk show Social Media Star and someone who was present on the sets of the movie- came out in her support. She posted a twitter thread, saying that Tanushree did speak about this issue at the time she faced it, but was branded 'unprofessional' for doing so.
6. Tanushree Dutta exposed Vivek Agnihotri
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While exclusively speaking to DNA about her debut film 'Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets' (2005), which also starred Anil Kapoor, Suniel Shetty, Irrfan Khan, Emraan Hashmi among others; Tanushree shared a rather unpleasant incident that took place on the sets of the film.
7. Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, Kangana Ranaut tweeted in support of the actress
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Bollywood celebrities like Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Sonam Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar, Parineeti Chopra, Swara Bhasker, Richa Chadha among several others have come out in support of former beauty queen and actress Tanushree Dutta, who has alleged Nana Patekar and Vivek Agnihotri of sexual harassment. Tanushree however is sceptical of these support tweets as the industry still continues to work with Nana Patekar.
