Tanushree Dutta reacts to Nana Patekar's death: 'Evil Dead ... What an odd day for all this to happen'
Actress had accused veteran Bollywood actor of misconduct during India's #MeToo movement
Dubai: Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta's reaction on her Instagram stories to the death of veteran Indian actor Nana Patekar is unlikely to go unnoticed. Rather than offering an elaborate tribute to the actor with whom she shared a deeply controversial history, Dutta made it clear that she had an important professional commitment in Lucknow and did not want the news to derail her plans. While she concluded her story with 'evil dead', she also maintained that she's confused about how to react to the new of the actor's demise.
The actress, whose allegations against Patekar in 2018 helped ignite India's #MeToo movement, acknowledged the news first, offered condolences to his family, but admitted she was still figuring out how she should react.
"I have heard the news. Today is my work day. I am going to Lucknow for an event, and I want to focus on that," said Dutta.
"What an odd day for all this to happen, because I am doing a very big event in Lucknow. It was pretty important to me. I had my entire day planned out to do all these Lives and post content."
She also appeared concerned that the news would once again drag her into a controversy that has overshadowed much of her professional life.
"And now I am worried that in the evening, that's all the media is going to be interested in is 'Evil Dead.' So, I will give my reaction once I figure out what kind of reaction I should have. So, definitely, condolences to the family. Thank you very much."
Her remarks are striking, given the polarising history between the two actors. Dutta was among the first prominent Bollywood actresses to publicly accuse a powerful male colleague of inappropriate behaviour, triggering a wider conversation about sexual misconduct and accountability in the Hindi film industry.
A controversy that defined India's #MeToo movement
In 2018, Dutta accused Patekar of behaving inappropriately with her on the sets of the 2008 film Horn 'Ok' Pleassss. Patekar consistently denied the allegations.
The controversy became a defining moment in India's #MeToo movement, but for Dutta, the consequences were far from over.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News in July 2025, Dutta described years of alleged harassment, intimidation and professional sabotage that she believed were connected to her decision to speak out.
"Twice, my auto brakes were cut. I had an accident in Ujjain when I had gone for a religious pilgrimage in 2022. It was a deep flesh wound. I was on crutches for months," she told Gulf News.
She also alleged that her food had been tampered with, her emails hacked and several potential film projects sabotaged. These claims could not be independently verified.
"Me making a comeback would have looked like a victory for MeToo — they didn't want that," she said at the time.
In March 2025, a Mumbai magistrate court disposed of the case arising from Dutta's allegations because the complaint had been filed beyond the statutory limitation period. The court did not examine the merits of the police closure report.
For Dutta, who has repeatedly spoken about the personal and professional price of speaking out, the latest development threatens to put her back in the spotlight for a chapter of her life she has struggled to move beyond.
Her immediate priority, however, appears to be her Lucknow event.
