Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan has drawn attention after leaving out cinematographer Pratik Shah's name in a social media post appreciating the cast and crew of his upcoming film Homebound.
What's Happening
- After the trailer launch, Neeraj Ghaywan took to his Instagram handle to introduce the film with the lines, "Let everything happen to you. Beauty and Terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final." He continued, "Presenting the trailer of our film Homebound. In cinemas on 26th September. Here are the wonderful people who were part of this Homebound journey."
- The filmmaker then tagged and thanked several members of his cast and crew, but Pratik Shah, credited as the film's cinematographer in the end credits of the trailer, was conspicuously absent.
- The omission comes at a time when Pratik Shah is facing a string of allegations of sexual misconduct and abusive behaviour.
Background
Pratik Shah, previously known for his work on Jubilee and CTRL, has been accused of inappropriate behaviour by filmmaker Abhinav Singh.
According to Abhinav, more than 20 women came forward alleging that Pratik engaged in conversations that veered into sexual territory, often crossing professional boundaries.
A report in The Hollywood Reporter noted that Pratik had previously come under the scrutiny of the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC). A young cinematographer had reportedly contacted a senior IWCC member about inappropriate advances.
Moreover, some reports even confirm that he was dropped from the much-anticipated Sourav Ganguly biopic. Dharma Productions, producers of Homebound, also released a statement, "At Dharma Productions, we have a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. Mr Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project Homebound and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn't receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film Homebound."
Pratik's career trajectory had once placed him among the promising names in Indian cinematography. But with testimonies and past incidents resurfacing, his position in the industry now appears deeply uncertain.
Meanwhile, Ghaywan is preparing for Homebound's India release. The film, which explores the struggles of two childhood friends from a North Indian village aspiring to secure a police job, has been praised at both Cannes and Toronto for its storytelling.
The film, starring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa, is now set for a theatrical release in India on September 26.
