- Chinmayi Sripaada criticised praise for Nana Patekar after his death amid misconduct claims
- Sona Mohapatra shared an assistant director's account of alleged sexual misconduct by Patekar
- Alleged incidents were dismissed as part of film scenes, preventing witnesses from speaking out
Chinmayi Sripaada has criticised the praise being showered on Nana Patekar following his death, backing Sona Mohapatra, who recently shared an account alleging sexual misconduct by the actor on film sets.
The discussion began after Sona posted a comment by an assistant director who claimed to have witnessed incidents involving Nana while working on two films. The person made it clear that the incidents being described had no connection to Horn 'Ok' Pleassss.
According to the assistant director's account, the alleged behaviour was passed off as part of a scene, leaving people unable to speak about it at the time. The person also said that years later, a member of the Cine and TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) had approached them and they had confirmed what they had witnessed.
Sona shared the account on X, questioning why women who speak about sexual misconduct continue to face disbelief. She wrote, "An AD describes witnessing alleged sexual misconduct on set. Yet the chorus continues: "How can you believe one woman?" How many witnesses will satisfy you? 10? 100? Talent isn't innocence. Charity isn't character. Death isn't sainthood."
Chinmayi re-shared the post, pointing out that the allegations should not be overlooked simply because people are remembering Nana fondly. She wrote, "Those who are constantly singing praises of Nana Patekar need to acknowledge he had molested and it was NOT a one time behavior."
Nana died of a heart attack in Goa on October 8, aged 75. His death also brought renewed attention to the allegations made by Tanushree Dutta, who accused him of sexual harassment while filming Horn 'Ok' Pleassss.
Tanushree's allegations became widely discussed during India's Me Too movement in 2018. Nana denied the claims, and an FIR was registered. The case was closed in 2019 due to insufficient evidence.
After Nana's death, Tanushree also faced criticism over her 'evil dead' remark. Sona publicly defended her, and the latest exchange has brought the allegations back into public discussion.
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