Nana Patekar speaks on Tanushree Dutta’s MeToo sexual harassment allegations, says, ‘I knew it was all false’

Tanushree Dutta claimed that during the 2008 shoot of "Horn Ok Pleassss," Nana Patekar tried to sexually harass her.

Amid the MeToo movement in 2018, Tanushree Dutta an Indian actress and model, made significant headlines by accusing veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment. Her allegations led to an FIR being filed against Patekar, but the case was dismissed within a year due to insufficient evidence and a lack of witnesses to corroborate Dutta's claims.

Recently, Nana Patekar addressed the controversy, asserting that he always believed the accusations were baseless, which is why he never responded with anger.

Tanushree Dutta's allegations against Nana Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, and director Vivek Agnihotri brought the MeToo movement to the forefront in India in 2018. She claimed that during the 2008 shoot of "Horn Ok Pleassss," Nana Patekar tried to sexually harass her, despite the song being intended as a solo performance for her.

The "Welcome" star, firmly denying these allegations, stated in an interview with The Lallantop, "I knew that it was all a lie. That's why I didn't get angry. When everything was a lie, why should I be angry? And all those things are old. They have happened. What can we talk about them? Everyone knew the truth. What could I say at that time when nothing like this happened? Suddenly, someone says that you did this, you did that. What would I have answered to all these things? Should I have said that I didn't do this? I know the truth that I didn't do anything.”

He also discussed the impact of social media on public perception, noting that he neither reads nor pays attention to online comments about him, whether positive or negative. He said, "How can I shut anyone's mouth? If someone does something wrong, I will take them to court. But I don't have time for all that either. We should know how right or wrong we are. That's the only important thing.”

On the professional front, Nana Patekar appeared in the Marathi comedy-drama "Ole Aale," directed by Vipul Mehta. He also played Former ICMR Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava in Vivek Agnihotri's "The Vaccine War." Despite its Rs 10 crore budget, the film struggled at the box office due to stiff competition from other releases, such as the Bollywood comedy "Fukrey 3."