Former Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta’s accusations against veteran actor Nana Patekar, sent shockwaves through the Indian film industry. Slamming the actor for harassing her sexually, Tanushree revealed that Nana grabbed her by her arms and pushed her around in the sets of ‘Horn Ok Please’ in 2008.
Her words also marked the beginning of the #MeToo movement in Bollywood, which went on to unmask a plethora of eminent personalities, guilty of such heinous acts. Dutta’s decision to speak about her experience publicly, inspired other women in the business to come forward and share the traumatic episodes they had to deal with.
And now, the 34-year-old actress has issued another statement explaining her decision to battle her nightmare instead of giving up on her life.
Taking us back to the incident where her car was brutally attacked by a raging mob, Tanushree said that the horrific event pushed her into the world of depression. Speaking to DNA, she threw light on how she always carried a fake smile on her face but wanted to end her life from inside.
“The Horn OK Pleasssse harassment incident and the mob attack there had sent me spiralling into a deep state of depression in 2008. Although I went on to finish my other projects with a smile on my face, deep inside I wanted to die. The harassment, manipulation, threats, the horrible things are spoken about me and the humiliation I had to endure was too much for my sensitive soul to bear.”
Tanushree referred to the cases of Jiah Khan and Pratyusha Banerjee, who committed suicide, after going through years of torture. She added that the mindset and belief of these sexual predators and her nonstop battle against the growing negativity, encouraged her to break the shackles and fight the situation.
“After putting years of hard work to be treated this way was and still is shattering. The attitude of these kinds of people and my constant upstream struggle in the face of such frequent negativity that I have received made me want to give up often. A few years later Jiah and Pratyusha committed suicide. I somehow lived.”
She decided to highlight the likes of Ganesh Acharya and Rakhi Sawant, terming them as people who will always try to fuel these dreadful activities and bury the truth.
“This time after I spoke again inspiring many to share their #metoo stories and exorcise their demons out, the same kind of toxic stuff was thrown at me by many especially Ganesh Acharya and Rakhi Sawant who levelled all manner of derogatory accusations on me.”
We salute Tanushree Dutta for acquiring the courage to speak up against the torment that lay hidden behind the glamorous curtains of the industry. Here’s hoping that the #MeToo movement rightfully punishes every assaulter and brings about a new dawn in the country.