Actor and model Tanushree Dutta has stirred the hornet’s nest yet again by accusing veteran actor Nana Patekar and choreographer Ganesh Acharya of harassment and bad behaviour.
In an interview to an entertainment TV show, she accused Patekar of “badtameezi” (misbehaviour) and charged that the actor wanted to do an intimate dance sequence with her. The incident took place on the sets of Horn 'Ok' Please – nearly 10 years ago.
She said that she complained to the producer Sami Siddiqui and director Rakesh Swaroop. Incidentally, Acharya was one of the choreographers of the film.
In the interview, she said that Patekar was trying to come close to her from the very first day. "He was trying all kinds of intimidation tactics…. 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," she said.
Eventually, after her allegations a decade ago, she was removed from the film and replaced by another actress. She also said that even when she raised an alarm and aired grievances no one took cognisance of it. Patekar, considered a powerful actor of Indian cinema, was not available for comments.
It may be recalled, however, that in 2008, when the allegations surfaced, Patekar had stated that Tanushree was of his daughter's age.
Acharya, however, has denied the allegations. “First of all, it's a very old incident so I can't really recall everything very clearly. But it was a duet song as far as I remember. Something did happen that day because the shooting was stalled for over three hours. There was some sort of misunderstanding," he said.
In her Instagram account, the 34-year-old actress said, “I don't just hope for a #me too movement in India, I hope for Mahabharata... Hey Krishnaa!! Take their heads o Lord of lords... and their souls.... Aho Shiva!! Holy Father, your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”