After Misconduct Claims Against Pratik Shah, Hansal Mehta Urges Accountability, Dharma Production Responds

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has publicly urged the creative industry to take a firm stand against workplace predators, especially amid recent allegations of sexual misconduct against cinematographer Pratik Shah. Known for his work in Homebound, Jubilee, and CTRL, Shah has been accused of harassment by filmmaker Abhinav Singh, who shared that nearly 20 women came forward with similar experiences.

Mehta’s post, made on X (formerly Twitter), emphasized the responsibility of the industry to call out abusers and protect vulnerable individuals in creative spaces.

Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear.

Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out — unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to…
— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) May 31, 2025

Popular filmmaker Hansal Mehta also echoed his opinion on the matter while calling out shah. On Twitter, he wrote, “Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear. Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out — unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to silence survivors. That silence must be broken.”

ALSO SEE: Dhanush and Aishwarya Rajinikanth Reunite as ‘Proud Parents’ for Son Yatra’s Graduation – See Pics

He further stressed that abuse of power isn’t limited to one gender and can take many forms — including emotional and psychological — which are often masked as “passion” in creative workspaces. He asserted that no artistic pursuit is worth compromising someone’s safety or mental well-being.

He emphasized the need to amplify victims’ voices, insisting that accountability should not be mistaken for cancel culture but rather seen as a necessary step toward a safer, more respectful professional environment. Mehta urged people to expose abusers and ensure no one is above basic decency.

for those not on Insta, allegations have come out against Jubilee, CTRL and Homebound cinematographer Pratik Shah pic.twitter.com/Tm3gaiwgir
— Claire Denis the Menace (@MrNarci) May 30, 2025

A day after the allegations by filmmaker Abhinav Singh went viral, Dharma Productions released an official statement. It reads, “At Dharma Productions we have a 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. Mr 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 or crew on our film Homebound.”

ALSO SEE: Hera Pheri 3 Buzz: AI Shows Pankaj Tripathi as Baburao, Fans Go Wild