Tanushree Dutta sexual harassment row: Nana Patekar and the problem with Bollywood’s defence of male anger
FirstpostIt’s no secret that Nana Patekar — a prolific actor and social activist — has always had a bit of a temper. In the aftermath of the accusations of sexual harassment levelled against him by actor Tanushree Dutta during the filming of Horn Ok Pleassss in 2008, which the actor has categorically denied, several news reports from the past draw a vivid picture of the male entitlement that helps Bollywood’s patriarchy thrive. Many men & women from the film industry have faced his wrath….” going on to explain in detail why Dutta’s account of being bullied and harassed resonates with her. Kapadia, Patekar’s co-worker from the film Prahaar, blurts out “I think he’s obnoxious.” I was intrigued to hear what Kapadia says to contextualise her comment. In 2008, after the incident at the sets with Dutta, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena wrote to producers’ associations to ‘blacklist’ Dutta for maligning the reputation of Patekar whom they hailed as “pride of Maharashtra”.