Nana Patekar died in Goa in the early hours of October 8 at 75 after a cardiac arrest. Hours later, Tanushree Dutta—who had accused him of sexual harassment years ago—posted “Evil is dead” on her Instagram Stories without naming him, and said her story timeline had “exploded.”
First came a more measured response. In a video from her flight to Lucknow, Tanushree said she had heard the news but had a big event to focus on. “So, definitely condolences to the family but…” she said, before the clip cut off. Then the sharper posts followed.
Tanushree reshared a post by actor Sandhya Mridul that asked: “Does a person stop being an abuser when they die? Does the harm they caused disappear too? For survivors, it doesn’t.” She also reshared a video that recounted her refusal to do an unscripted intimate step with Nana, and the backlash she says came after.
The allegation timeline
The allegation dates to the 2009 film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Tanushree said Nana harassed her on set. The claim went public in 2018 during India’s #MeToo movement. An FIR was registered; Nana denied the allegations. In 2019, the case was closed for lack of sufficient evidence. In 2025, the Mumbai Andheri Magistrate Court dismissed criminal proceedings because the complaint was filed beyond the legal limitation period.
- 2009: Tanushree’s allegation on the set of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss.
- 2018: The claim becomes public during #MeToo; an FIR is filed.
- 2019: Police close the case for lack of sufficient evidence.
- 2025: The court dismisses proceedings on limitation grounds.
- October 2026: Nana dies; Tanushree’s posts and AICWA’s objection follow.
Industry body hits back
All Indian Cine Workers Association founder and president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta said AICWA strongly condemns the comment. He called Tanushree’s use of “evil dead” at this time “deeply objectionable, insensitive and shameful.”
Tanushree has not stepped back. She also reshared a clip in which a content creator questions why people call Nana a “legend” while leaving the allegations out of the conversation.
Why it matters
A star’s death usually becomes a public moment of remembrance. This one shows that legal closure and public memory do not always move together. A case can be dismissed on limitation—without a finding on the core allegation—and still shape how a public figure is remembered.
The disagreement is not really about whether a death deserves condolences. It is about whether an allegation should be parked when a public figure dies. Tanushree’s posts answer no; AICWA answers that the timing and language cross a line. Both are part of how Bollywood’s #MeToo chapter is still being written.
For celebrity-watchers, the takeaway is to check the case timeline before commenting, let survivors speak without piling on, and not reduce a death to one quote.
Source: Hindustan Times
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