Tanushree Dutta Defends ‘Evil Dead’ Remark After Nana Patekar’s Death

• Tanushree Dutta faced criticism after describing Nana Patekar as “evil dead” following reports of his death on October 8, 2026.
• Dutta later spoke about the pressure she said she experienced after raising allegations against Patekar, asking people to understand her perspective.
• The All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA) condemned her remarks as insensitive and objectionable.
• Dutta accused Patekar of inappropriate behaviour during the filming of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss in 2008. Patekar denied the allegations.
• The allegations became a prominent part of India’s #MeToo movement in 2018.
• Mumbai Police filed a B-summary closure report in 2019, and a magistrate court disposed of the case in 2025 without examining the allegations on their merits.

Tanushree Dutta has defended her controversial reaction to Nana Patekar’s reported death, asking people to consider her perspective and the difficulties she says she endured after speaking out against the actor. Her comments have drawn criticism from the All Indian Cine Workers Association (AICWA), bringing their long-running dispute back into the spotlight.

Dutta, who accused Patekar of sexual harassment during the filming of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss in 2008, initially sparked controversy after using the phrase “evil dead” in a social media post following reports of his death on October 8, 2026.

In a subsequent response, she spoke about the personal toll of the events that followed her allegations and the pressure she said she faced while the case was ongoing.

“What I’ve been through in the last five years after #MeToo… I’ve been so troubled. Kindly see from my perspective as well,” Dutta said.

She also alleged that she had been pressured to withdraw her complaint but had refused to do so.

“While the case was going on, so much pressure was put on me to drop it. Even then, I didn’t take it back. I was offered temptations, but I didn’t take it (the case) back,” she said.

Her remarks came after AICWA publicly condemned her choice of words following Patekar’s reported death.

AICWA Criticises Dutta’s Remarks

AICWA president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta described Dutta’s “evil dead” comment as objectionable, insensitive and shameful. The organisation said the remark was inappropriate at a time when the film industry and Patekar’s family were mourning his death.

In its statement, the association also highlighted Patekar’s contributions to cinema and theatre, as well as his work through the Naam Foundation, which it said had supported farmers’ families in distress.

Gupta criticised Dutta for referring to her professional commitments in Lucknow while discussing the news. Dutta had earlier explained that she was travelling to the city for an important event and had planned to focus on her work.

In a video shared on social media, she said she was unsure how she wanted to respond to the news and offered condolences to Patekar’s family.

“I will give my reaction once I figure out what kind of reaction I should have. So, definitely condolences to the family,” she said.

Dutta subsequently defended her harsher remarks, with one report quoting her as saying, “Mere liye toh evil dead hi hai.”

The criticism has revived public discussion of the allegations that placed Dutta and Patekar at the centre of a widely reported controversy during India’s #MeToo movement.

The Allegations That Reached the Headlines in 2018

The dispute dates back to the 2008 filming of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Dutta alleged that Patekar behaved inappropriately towards her during the shooting of a song sequence and that changes to the choreography made her uncomfortable.

According to her account, Patekar wanted to participate in the sequence despite it initially being intended to feature her and another actor. She also alleged that he touched her under the pretext of demonstrating dance steps.

Dutta raised the allegations publicly again in 2018, when India’s #MeToo movement brought renewed attention to claims of sexual harassment and workplace misconduct in the entertainment industry.

Patekar denied the allegations, describing them as false.

The controversy also involved choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddiqui, who were named alongside Patekar in a police complaint. Dutta’s allegations became a major talking point, with competing accounts of what had happened during the film shoot.

What Happened to the Case?

In October 2018, a first information report (FIR) was registered at Mumbai’s Oshiwara police station against Patekar and others in connection with the allegations.

In June 2019, Mumbai Police filed a B-summary closure report, stating that the investigation had not found sufficient evidence to support Dutta’s allegations. According to the account of the investigation, statements from 13 witnesses did not corroborate her claims of inappropriate behaviour.

The case returned to court in 2025. An Andheri magistrate court disposed of the proceedings after noting that the complaint concerned an incident alleged to have occurred in 2008 and that no application had been made to explain or seek condonation of the delay.

The court did not examine the merits of the allegations. The disposal therefore did not amount to a judicial finding that the allegations were either true or false.

Dutta’s recent comments have brought renewed attention to that history, with her citing the difficulties she says she experienced after speaking out and AICWA objecting to her description of Patekar following his reported death.