Cinematographer Pratik Shah dropped from Sourav Ganguly biopic after sexual abuse allegations: Report

Cinematographer Pratik Shah has been dropped from the biopic of former Indian cricket team captain Saurav Ganguly after allegations of sexual abuse were made against him. The film is reportedly being helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane, who has earlier worked with Pratik on CTRL and Jubilee, and stars Rajkummar Rao in the lead.

As per a report in The Hollywood Reporter India, Pratik was involved in the film’s recce in London. A source told the publication, “Allegations against him surfaced just around the time he returned to India. The makers have dropped him from the project and will now naturally look for a replacement before beginning production."

Independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh recently accused Pratik of being “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive”, stating that his allegations are based on the testimonies of multiple women. Taking to Instagram, Abhinav wrote about Pratik, saying “To my female friends: Please be cautious around a certain cinematographer I've encountered-he's highly manipulative and emotionally abusive based on my personal experience. If you want details, feel free to DM me.”

Pratik recently worked in Dharma Productions’ Homebound which premiered at Cannes this year.

In a statement released, Dharma Productions’ said that Pratik was employed in the capacity of a freelancer for Homebound and that his engagement with them was 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,” read the official statement as quoted by Times of India.