Tanushree Dutta has accused Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on a film set in 2008
Highlights
- Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her in 2008
- She says he behaved inappropriately while filming 'Horn OK Pleassss'
- She also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya in her complaint
Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta, who has accused actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on a film set in 2008, has filed a police complaint over the incident. In the complaint, Ms Dutta has also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, who was involved in the project. Nana Patekar, who has firmly denied the charges, had earlier sent Ms Dutta a legal notice to withdraw the allegations and apologise.
Ms Dutta, 34, filed the police complaint at Oshiwara police station, located at Mumbai's Andheri West area on Saturday. She says Mr Patekar, 67, behaved inappropriately on the sets of a song sequence for the 2008 film 'Horn OK Pleassss'.
"Tanushree Dutta has given us a complaint against Nana Patekar. As of now there is not any FIR registered in this case," Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Manoj Kumar Sharma told news agency PTI.
Earlier on Saturday, cornered by reporters at the Mumbai airport, Mr Patekar once again rejected the claim. "Jo jhooth hai, woh jhooth hai (A lie is a lie)" he said before getting into a car. "Dus saal pehle iska jawaab de chuka hoon (I had said this 10 years ago)," he said.
Choreographer Ganesh Acharya too said that the incident had "never happened".
"He was grabbing my hands and teaching me how to dance," Tanushree Dutta had told NDTV, in charges that have since sparked a number of public accusations against men in the media and entertainment industry. Ms Dutta had also alleged political threats and a "violent attack" by activists of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena or MNS, after she protested the incident 10 years ago.
She also accused filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri of behaving inappropriately with her on the sets of a 2005 film, 'Chocolate', saying that he asked her to strip off camera on the sets of the film.
Vivek Agnihotri's lawyer had denied the charges, declaring them to be "absolutely false, frivoulous and vexatious," adding that the director would sue Tanushree Dutta over the accusation.
Tanushree Dutta's allegations have been linked to the global #MeToo movement, which has swept a range of industries, uncovering sexual assault charges against powerful men.
(With Inputs From Agencies)