Tanushree Dutta calls Nana Patekar 'Shaitaan' after death: 'Brakes of my car were cut'
Synopsis
Tanushree Dutta did not hold back after Nana Patekar's death — calling him a 'Shaitaan' and uploading a video titled 'evil dead.' She alleged her car brakes were cut, she was offered money to drop the case, and that a judge closed proceedings the very day her hairdresser's eyewitness evidence was due in court. Five years of the #MeToo battle, laid bare in one unflinching statement.
Key Takeaways
Tanushree Dutta called Nana Patekar a 'Shaitaan' and posted a video titled 'evil dead' following his death on Thursday .
Dutta alleged sustained pressure to withdraw her court case, including financial offers and, she claims, tampering with her car's brakes, causing an accident.
Her primary witness — her hairdresser — had filed an affidavit corroborating her account, but the judge closed the case before the evidence could be formally submitted.
The case stemmed from Dutta's 2018 #MeToo allegation against Patekar during the filming of 'Horn Ok Pleassss' ; Patekar had denied all charges.
Dutta said: 'The judge closed the case.
But that does not mean that I was not right and he was not wrong.'
Actress Tanushree Dutta has reacted sharply to the passing of actor Nana Patekar, calling him a 'Shaitaan' (devil) in a video she uploaded following his death on Thursday. Dutta, who had accused Patekar of sexually harassing her during the filming of 'Horn Ok Pleassss', labelled the video 'evil dead' — making no attempt to conceal the intensity of her feelings toward her alleged harasser.
What Tanushree Said
Speaking in a candid conversation, Dutta said only she truly knows what she endured in the five years following the #MeToo allegations she levelled against Patekar. She described sustained pressure to withdraw her court case, including, she alleged, financial inducements. 'They even tried to change my mind with money,' she said, adding that when monetary persuasion failed, other methods were deployed.
Dutta made a series of grave claims about the harassment she says she faced after going public. 'The brakes of my car were cut. I had an accident, food poisoning. The thing that I have gone through, for me, the evil dead is only,' she said.
The Court Case and the Key Witness
Dutta shed new light on the trajectory of the legal proceedings, revealing that the case was closed by a judge on the very day crucial evidence from the primary witness was about to be submitted. 'It took us 5 years to convince a prime witness. She used to get threats,' Dutta said. That witness — described as her hairdresser — had reportedly filed an affidavit in court stating she had personally witnessed the alleged misconduct. 'Our prime witness, who was my hairdresser, had given an affidavit in court, saying that whatever madam is saying, I have seen it with my own eyes,' Dutta revealed.
On the Judicial System and Justice
Dutta was candid about her disillusionment with the legal process. 'We live in India. Here, it is not necessary that the one who wins is right. Here, no one won. The judge closed the case. But that does not mean that I was not right and he was not wrong,' she said. Her remarks reflect a broader frustration many #MeToo survivors in India have expressed about the gap between filing complaints and securing accountability through courts.
Background: The MeToo Complaint
The allegations against Patekar date back to the filming of 'Horn Ok Pleassss', during which Dutta alleged he misbehaved with her on set. She subsequently filed a police complaint, triggering one of the most high-profile cases of India's #MeToo movement in 2018. Patekar had consistently denied the allegations, calling them false. The case was eventually closed without a verdict on the merits. Dutta concluded her remarks by saying: 'He was a very egoistic man, and God has taken his life because he was not stopping. He was harassing me constantly.'
Dutta's reaction is likely to reignite public debate around the outcomes — or lack thereof — of India's #MeToo movement and the structural challenges women face in pursuing such cases through the courts.
Point of View
Verifiable claim that deserves scrutiny, not dismissal. India's #MeToo moment of 2018 produced headlines but few convictions. Dutta's account of threats, financial pressure and a court closure on a procedural technicality fits a pattern that critics have long argued disadvantages survivors in harassment cases. Her candour on the judicial system — 'it is not necessary that the one who wins is right' — is less a lament than an indictment, and one that warrants a broader reckoning.
NationPress
9 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Tanushree Dutta call Nana Patekar a 'Shaitaan'?
Tanushree Dutta called Nana Patekar a 'Shaitaan' (devil) in a video she posted following his death, citing the years of alleged harassment, intimidation, and legal setbacks she says she endured after accusing him of sexual misconduct on the set of 'Horn Ok Pleassss' in 2018. She said she labelled the video 'evil dead' to reflect her view of him.
What was Tanushree Dutta's sexual harassment case against Nana Patekar?
In 2018, Tanushree Dutta alleged that Nana Patekar had sexually harassed her during the filming of 'Horn Ok Pleassss.' She filed a police complaint, making it one of the most prominent cases of India's #MeToo movement. Patekar denied all allegations, calling them false, and the case was eventually closed by a judge without a verdict on the merits.
What did Tanushree Dutta allege happened to her during the court case?
Dutta alleged that she was pressured to withdraw the case, offered money to drop it, and that when she refused, other intimidation methods were used. She claimed the brakes of her car were cut, causing an accident, and that she also suffered food poisoning. She said her key witness faced threats throughout the five-year proceedings.
Why was Tanushree Dutta's court case closed?
According to Dutta, the judge closed the case on the very day that evidence from her primary witness — her hairdresser, who had filed an eyewitness affidavit — was due to be submitted. Dutta said the closure did not mean she was wrong or that Patekar was innocent.
Who was the key witness in Tanushree Dutta's case?
Tanushree Dutta's primary witness was her hairdresser, who she says took five years to convince to come forward due to ongoing threats. The hairdresser had reportedly filed an affidavit in court stating she had personally witnessed the alleged misconduct by Nana Patekar.
