BOLLYWOOD
Tanushree Dutta recalls her 2008 sexual abuse incident
In 2008, 'Aashiq Banaya Apne' actress Tanushree Dutta had accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of misbehaving with her during the shoot of a special dance number on the sets of 'Horn OK Please'. The controversy had an adverse affect on Tanushree's filmy career. She treaded the spiritual path and soon relocated to the US. She was last seen on the big screen in 'Apartment' (2010).
She recently returned to India after a sabbatical of 8 years and her fight with the industry still seems to continue. In a recent interview with Zoom, Tanushree named and shamed Nana Patekar for making her uncomfortable to an extent that she had to eventually opt out of the song. She also claimed that the senior actor has always had a history of assaulting women.
Further exposing Bollywood, Tanushree said, "Heroines ki roles ki casting hoti hai wo Actors karte hai, casting director sirf baaki ke side roles ki casting karta hai. Jo top lead ki Actress hoti hai, wo humesha Actor hi cast karta hai (Heroines are cast by the lead actors. Casting directors only cast the side actors. But the top lead actress is cast by the actor only."
Tanushree also called out Akshay Kumar and Rajinikanth for working with Nana Patekar despite his disreputable image. "If big stars like Rajinikanth and Akshay Kumar continue to work with these kind of people, then what hope is there for any movement to happen?," she rued.
Describing the on-set encounter with Nana Patekar, Tanushree told News 18 in another 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.”
"Everybody saw what happened, but the memory and the popular perception of it is that 'Tanushree Dutta spoke up against harassment and then she was no more.' The entire industry saw what happened, but there was not one word of condemnation from anybody. Every single person in this country remembers my incident and this was something on national TV for three days, but even today there's a stoic silence on that. So, my question is, 'Who is going to believe these hypocrites?' These are the people who stand up and raise their voice against women empowerment," Tanushree added.
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 feels that the #MeToo movement will never take off in India until her case is acknowledged. “The thing is that our country has become so hypocritical, and people constantly ask why #MeToo movement is not happening in India, it won’t happen unless and until you’ll acknowledge what happened with me in 2008.”
“Till the time I’m given justice no movement can start over here. I will keep bringing up this issue every time I’m here because I want to expose the hypocrisy of Bollywood that on one hand you are speaking about women empowerment, but everybody had a stoic silence on what happened with me and they have maintained it even today. In fact, they are not only maintaining the stoic silence but they are also working with the perpetrators,” she concluded.
DNA TV Show: Hindus in Bangladesh unite against fundamentalism
‘Another example of…’: MEA on Canada labelling India ‘cyber adversary’
'Bhai kyu jhooti tassali....': Mrunal Thakur criticizes fan who photoshopped her in Diwali pic
Mukesh Ambani, Anil Ambani set to earn money from Singham Again's box office collection, here’s how
Adani Power cuts Bangladesh electricity supply by half due to $846 million unpaid bills
Here's what is happening inside Ratan Tata’s Bombay House since after death of business magnate
Virat Kohli dispels retirement rumours, suggests he may continue playing cricket till....
Meet man, highest UPSC exam scorer, who broke IAS Tina Dabi's record, he is...
Swati Maliwal pours bottle of polluted water outside Delhi CM Atishi’s residence; WATCH
IPL 2025: R Ashwin tops CSK's wishlist as franchise plans to utilize RTM for THIS New Zealand star
'Abki baar...': AI imagines Donald Trump, Kamala Harris as Indian politicians, netizens react, WATCH
Amid bomb threats, ammunition cartridges found in Dubai-Delhi Air India flight
This Indian king, was first man to make history by marrying foreign woman during his trip to...
Mukesh Ambani's Jio once again TOPPED in global telecom industry, sets record in...
Bhai Dooj 2024: Date, shubh muhurat, significance, rituals and more
New ‘Satoshi Nakamoto’ emerges: Meet man who declares himself to be Bitcoin founder but fails to...
Watch: Former CSK star gets hit for 6 sixes in an over against England during Hong Kong Sixes
'Makes no sense': Ex-India star slams Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir for absurd Sarfaraz Khan decision
World's richest man Elon Musk faces lawsuit from Ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal for...
Security forces kill 2 terrorists, including a foreign national in Jammu and Kashmir
WWE Crown Jewel 2024: Full match card, timing, live streaming details - All you need to know
'Absurd and baseless': India dismisses Canadian minister's allegations against Amit Shah
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli scripts history in Mumbai Test, becomes first player in world to...
This 51-year-old woman leaves husband to marry 30-year-old Indian security guard
Mukesh Ambani's best plan for Jio users, 200GB data, 90 days of unlimited calls at just Rs...
'Thanks for...': Abhishek Bachchan's viral statement amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai
Jammu and Kashmir: 2 terrorists killed in encounter with security forces in Anantnag
21-Day Mars, Moon simulation in Ladakh
Prashant Kishor's fee for advising in one election will leave you shocked, it is Rs...
Dua Padukone Singh: Here's how Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh named their baby girl
Another BIG move by Mukesh Ambani, set to provide some help for debt-ridden Ghana as Reliance Jio...
J-K: Gun battle breaks out between security forces and terrorists in Srinagar's Khanyar
Noel Tata takes BIG decision at TCS after Ratan Tata's death, plans to hire...
'Will chop them up...': Mithun Chakraborty hits out at TMC’s Humayun Kabir at Kolkata rally
Delhi Air Pollution: Delhi-NCR AQI turns ‘very poor’ as city wakes up to toxic smog post-Diwali
Gautam Adani's next BIG step: Adani Power stops Bangladesh’s power supply due to...
Indian troops start patrolling Demchok sector in eastern Ladakh following India-China disengagement
Amy Jackson announces first pregnancy with husband Ed Westwick, flaunts baby bump in adorable pics
In THIS Indian village, families live with cobras, the reason is...
Hardik Pandya flaunts his special 'World Champion' ring after being retained by MI, video goes viral
Happy Govardhan Puja 2024: Top 50 WhatsApp wishes, messages, quotes for loved ones
Despite massive Diwali opening, is Singham Again paying the price for banking on huge star cast?
Shah Rukh Khan's heartfelt gesture towards jewellery store staff wins internet, watch
DNA TV Show: Public calls out celebrities’ hypocrisy on Diwali pollution
Fashion designer Rohit Bal dies at 63: Last year, he was on ventilator for heart ailments
BCCI scraps India's intra squad warm-up game ahead of Border-Gavaskar Trophy, reason revealed
Legendary fashion designer Rohit Bal dies at 63 after prolonged illness
Another terrorist attack in J-K, militants shoot two non-locals in Budgam