Tanushree Dutta reacts to Nana Patekar's death, calls it 'Evil Dead'
Synopsis
Tanushree Dutta's reaction to Nana Patekar's death was unlike any other — calling it 'Evil Dead' and admitting she didn't know how to feel. With the unresolved #MeToo controversy of 2018 as backdrop, her video cuts through the usual flood of tributes and forces a reckoning with Bollywood's most uncomfortable chapter.
Key Takeaways
Nana Patekar passed away on 8 October due to a severe cardiac arrest; he was declared dead at 5:20 am at Manipal Hospital, Dona Paula, Goa .
Doctors administered CPR for approximately 45 minutes to one hour before declaring him dead.
Tanushree Dutta shared a social media video calling the situation 'Evil Dead' and offering condolences to Patekar's family.
Dutta said she was unsure 'what kind of reaction' she should have, citing her work commitments in Lucknow on the same day.
Dutta had accused Patekar of allegedly misbehaving on the sets of Horn 'Ok' Pleassss during India's #MeToo movement in 2018 ; Patekar denied all allegations.
Actress Tanushree Dutta broke her silence on the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar on 8 October 2026, sharing a video on her social media account in which she offered condolences to his family while describing the situation as 'Evil Dead' and admitting she was uncertain how to respond.
What Tanushree Dutta Said
In the video, Dutta said she had received the news but was focused on professional commitments in Lucknow, where she was scheduled to attend a significant event. 'I have heard the news. Today is my work day. I am going to Lucknow for an event, and I want to focus on that. What an odd day for all this to happen, because I am doing a very big event in Lucknow,' she said.
She added, 'I will give my reaction once I figure out what kind of reaction I should have. So, definitely, condolences to the family. Thank you very much.' Dutta's use of the phrase 'Evil Dead' to characterise the news drew immediate attention, given the fraught history between the two.
The Background: A #MeToo Controversy
The names of Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar became inseparable during India's #MeToo movement in 2018, when Dutta publicly accused Patekar of allegedly misbehaving with her on the sets of the film Horn 'Ok' Pleassss. She subsequently filed a police complaint against him. Patekar categorically denied all allegations, calling them false. The case — and the broader #MeToo wave it helped ignite in the Indian entertainment industry — remained a defining chapter in both their public lives.
How Nana Patekar Died
Legendary actor Nana Patekar passed away on 8 October following a severe cardiac arrest. According to doctors, he was brought to Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula, Goa at 4:20 am. Medical staff reportedly administered CPR for approximately 45 minutes to one hour in an effort to revive him, but were unsuccessful. He was officially declared dead at 5:20 am.
The Weight of the Moment
Dutta's video stands out from the wave of conventional condolence statements that followed Patekar's passing. Her candid acknowledgment that she was unsure how to react — set against the years of legal and public conflict between the two — reflects the complex, unresolved nature of the #MeToo chapter in Bollywood. Notably, no formal resolution of the 2018 complaint had been publicly reported before his death.
The entertainment industry now faces renewed attention on how it processes the legacies of figures entangled in harassment allegations, as tributes and reactions pour in from across the film fraternity.
Point of View
However uncomfortable, is more honest than the sanitised tributes flooding timelines. The deeper issue is that Bollywood never truly processed the 2018 #MeToo moment: no institutional mechanism, no formal accountability, and now a death that forecloses any legal resolution. Dutta's hesitation on camera is, in a sense, the industry's hesitation writ large. How the film fraternity handles the memory of figures entangled in unresolved harassment cases will say as much about its maturity as any award speech.
NationPress
8 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How did Nana Patekar die?
Nana Patekar died on 8 October following a severe cardiac arrest. He was brought to Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula, Goa at 4:20 am, where doctors administered CPR for approximately 45 minutes to one hour before declaring him dead at 5:20 am.
What did Tanushree Dutta say about Nana Patekar's death?
Tanushree Dutta shared a social media video saying she had heard the news but was focused on a work event in Lucknow. She called the situation 'Evil Dead', said she was unsure how to react, and offered condolences to Patekar's family.
What was the controversy between Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar?
In 2018, during India's #MeToo movement, Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of allegedly misbehaving with her on the sets of Horn 'Ok' Pleassss. She filed a police complaint; Patekar denied all allegations and called them false.
What does 'Evil Dead' mean in the context of Tanushree Dutta's statement?
Tanushree Dutta used the phrase 'Evil Dead' to describe how she felt about Nana Patekar's passing, reflecting her complicated and unresolved feelings toward him given their public #MeToo dispute. She did not elaborate further and said she would share a fuller reaction later.
Where did Nana Patekar die?
Nana Patekar passed away at Manipal Hospital in Dona Paula, Goa, on 8 October after being brought in at 4:20 am following a cardiac arrest.
