Cinematographer Pratik Shah accused of sexual misconduct

Cinematographer Pratik Shah, who has worked in Hindi films including 'Homebound' and 'Jubilee' and 'CTRL', has been accused of sexual harassment. Filmmaker Abhinav Singh, who has helmed short films such as 'Sita' and 'Yatri Kripya Dhyan De', levelled these allegations against him after receiving testimonies from nearly 20 women.

“I’ve spoken out, and now I’m hearing from others -people who’ve felt silenced or sidelined," he wrote in one of his Instagram posts, adding “It’s heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator."

Abhinav Singh further showed his disappointment over how his peers, especially men, did not message to ask for offer support. “Use your privilege to listen - really listen. Use your platform to ask difficult questions. Call out behaviour even when it’s inconvenient. Do it not just for your mothers, daughters, and sisters - do it for your friends, colleagues, and peers. Being a man is not about ‘being able to get it up.’ Being a man - being human - is about showing up,” he wrote.

Writer-filmmaker Srishti Riya Jain also echoed Singh’s claims with a series of posts on her Instagram, alleging that Pratik Shah has been on the prowl for the past four years. She also shared earlier discussions from Reddit where users had spoken about him habitually sliding into women’s DMs, making them uncomfortable.

Pratik Shah remained unavailable for comment. While he has not made a public statement, the industry is abuzz with the development, prompting calls for a safer workplace for young people.

Pratik Shah's most recent work is Dharma Productions' 'Homebound', which had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. A day after the allegations surfaced, Dharma Productions issued a statement. The statement read, "At Dharma Productions, we have 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. 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 and crew on our film Homebound."