“Nana Suffered A Lot For No Reason”: Mahesh Manjrekar Defends Late Friend Nana Patekar, Revisits Tanushree Dutta Controversy
Mahesh Manjrekar says Nana Patekar suffered unfairly after Tanushree Dutta’s 2018 allegations. Here are his remarks, Patekar’s denial, and what the legal record shows.
Actor-filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar has spoken about his friend Nana Patekar, with whom he worked on the Marathi film “Natsamrat,” and the controversy that followed the actor for years. Manjrekar told News18 Marathi that he knew the people present on the set and that, according to them, nothing had happened. He said that Patekar suffered a lot for no reason, and criticised how old matters are revived on social media, where everyone forms their own opinion.
He also said he regretted not being able to meet Patekar one last time. He was away on work when Patekar died, and described the loss as sudden.
The Allegation And The Denial
Tanushree Dutta first accused Patekar in 2008 of inappropriate behaviour during a song shoot for “Horn OK Pleassss,” and said her car was attacked by workers of a political party when she tried to leave. The matter returned in September 2018 when she spoke on TV, and it became a significant moment for India’s #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations, with his lawyer calling them false.
