Hansal Mehta says allegations of ‘predatory behaviour’ against cinematographer Pratik Shah must be investigated

Hansal Mehta spoke about the recent allegations of sexual abuse against cinematographer Pratik Shah and said that there should an investigation into the matter. Hansal said that if victims of abuse are not heard, predatory behaviour will be forgiven in the name of art.

Taking to his stories, Hansal wrote, “Serious allegations of predatory behaviour have emerged against cinematographer Pratik Shah. These must be investigated. Victims must be heard. Because if they aren’t, like so many before, this too will fade – and once again, predatory behaviour will be forgiven in the name of art.”

He added, “I say this with a sense of deep scepticism- because hypocrisy is everywhere. Predators will flourish, as they always have. Abusers will be celebrated for their ‘art’. And the survivors? They'll be left to carry their trauma alone, trying to make sense of their shattered careers and stolen safety.”

Pratik, who has worked on high profile projects like Jubilee (2023), CTRL (2024) and more recently on Dharma Production's Homebound, was recently accused of being “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive” by independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh, who stated that his allegations are based on the testimonies of multiple women.

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.