Tanushree Dutta Defends Nana Patekar Death Reaction; Sandhya Mridul and Sona Mohapatra Back Her Amid Backlash

Actors Sandhya Mridul and singer Sona Mohapatra have publicly supported Tanushree Dutta amid criticism of her reaction to Nana Patekar's death, according to The Indian Express. Dutta, who accused Patekar of sexual harassment in 2018, said the actor made her life difficult for years, while Hindustan Times reported that Patekar consistently denied the allegations and that the case was subsequently closed due to insufficient evidence.

Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar Controversy Key Facts

Detail	Information
Latest developments	Dutta defended her reaction to Patekar's death on 9 October 2026
Public support	Sandhya Mridul and Sona Mohapatra spoke in support of Dutta
Original allegations	Alleged misconduct during a song shoot for the 2008 film Horn Ok Pleassss
Renewed allegations	Dutta repeated her accusations in October 2018
Police proceedings	An FIR was registered following Dutta's allegations
Patekar's response	He consistently denied the allegations, according to Hindustan Times
Case outcome	Closed due to insufficient evidence
Social media dispute	Dutta faced criticism over her comments following Patekar's death

What Did Tanushree Dutta Say About Nana Patekar's Death

According to Hindustan Times, Dutta spoke on Friday about negative messages she had received after Patekar died in Goa on Thursday, 8 October. She posted an Instagram video describing her experiences following the #MeToo movement and criticised those challenging her response to his death.

Dutta had initially posted an Instagram Stories video acknowledging the news while saying she wanted to respond once "I figure out what kind of reaction I should have". The Indian Express reported that she was travelling to Lucknow for an event and had expressed condolences to Patekar's family.

In a subsequent video, Dutta said that people could have different experiences involving the same individual. Hindustan Times quoted her asking, "But someone has died, it doesn't mean that all the crimes he has committed in his life can be wiped out."

Her language drew criticism on social media. The Indian Express reported that her use of the phrase "evil dead" prompted trolling, while Hindustan Times quoted Dutta saying, "He was the biggest demon of my life. He made my life hell."

Dutta said she had intended to postpone a fuller reaction, but the criticism prompted her to address the matter. Her latest statements revisited allegations that Patekar had consistently denied.

Why Tanushree Dutta Says Her Life Changed After MeToo

Hindustan Times reported that Dutta described significant changes to her everyday life after she repeated her allegations in October 2018. She contrasted her earlier routine of travelling without fear and exercising regularly with the difficulties she says she faced after the #MeToo movement.

In the video, Dutta stated, "People don't know the state I have been in since the MeToo movement." She alleged that she had been followed by goons and had experienced attacks on her safety.

Dutta also claimed that somebody tampered with her vehicle in 2024. Hindustan Times quoted her saying, "In 2024, someone cut the brakes of my car." This was an allegation made by Dutta, rather than an established finding presented by the outlet.

She said the difficulties had continued since 2018, particularly after 2020, and claimed that she had disclosed only part of her experiences in interviews. Dutta also alleged that more than one person had been involved in troubling her.

Hindustan Times reported that Dutta rejected calls to forgive Patekar, maintaining that he had never apologised to her. Explaining her position, she said, "Even God doesn't forgive without someone asking for forgiveness."

Dutta also criticised YouTubers and social media commentators whom she believed were using the controversy to attract views and likes. She asked them to consider how they would have handled the experiences she described.

What Did Sandhya Mridul Say in Support of Tanushree Dutta

Actor Sandhya Mridul addressed the criticism surrounding Dutta through an Instagram statement, according to The Indian Express. She argued that public mourning and discussion of alleged harm should not be treated as mutually exclusive.

Mridul wrote, "A person’s death does not automatically erase the harm they may have caused." She added that survivors' experiences should not be dismissed simply because the person they accused had died or was receiving public tributes.

The Indian Express quoted Mridul saying, "When only praise is allowed and survivors are forgotten, it can feel like their truth disappears all over again." Her comments focused on how public responses to a death could affect people who had previously spoken about abuse.

Mridul also shared a post questioning whether death changes the consequences of abusive behaviour for those who say they experienced it. She wrote in her caption, "A survivor lives with it for as long as they live. I will always stand with the survivor."

The actor included the hashtag #MeToo. Her intervention came as Dutta faced criticism from sections of the film industry and social media users, according to The Indian Express.

What Did Sona Mohapatra Say About the Backlash

Singer Sona Mohapatra also released a video defending Dutta, according to The Indian Express. She acknowledged that people were mourning a celebrated actor but questioned why Dutta was being attacked for discussing her own experiences.

Mohapatra said, "A celebrated actor, people are mourning him, understandably so. I have no issues with that. But what’s disturbing me is the way people are attacking Tanushree Dutta."

She argued that Dutta had spoken publicly about alleged sexual harassment on a film set and subsequently faced professional and personal consequences. Mohapatra questioned why she should now be expected to display grief simply to meet other people's expectations.

In remarks quoted by The Indian Express, Mohapatra asked, "People ask why didn’t you go to the court? Where is the proof?" She also questioned the practicality of expecting people to possess recordings or witnesses for every alleged incident of harassment.

The singer criticised female content creators and influencers whom she accused of humiliating another woman for speaking about her experiences. She referred to her own experiences of speaking publicly and the personal and professional consequences she associated with doing so.

Mohapatra also questioned the connection some people make between age, public reputation and moral character. She asked, "Why do we associate old age with virtue and death with sainthood?"

She maintained that mourning a person's death did not require someone who had made allegations against them to change their account. In the caption accompanying her video, she wrote, "Dying doesn’t erase uncomfortable chapters of someone’s life."

What Happened in Tanushree Dutta's 2018 Case Against Nana Patekar

The dispute dates to Dutta's allegations concerning a song shoot for the 2008 film Horn Ok Pleassss. Hindustan Times reported that she accused Patekar of misbehaving with her during filming and repeated the allegations in October 2018, helping to kickstart India's #MeToo movement.

According to The Indian Express, Dutta said she was 24 when the alleged incident occurred. In her latest statements, she described the years following her public allegations as a prolonged period of personal difficulty and claimed that she had faced sustained harassment.

Hindustan Times reported that an FIR was registered against Patekar after Dutta made her allegations in 2018. Patekar consistently denied the accusations. The case was later closed due to insufficient evidence.

The distinction between the allegations and the outcome of the case remains important. Dutta's latest statements describe her own experiences and accusations, while the police case did not establish those allegations as proven. The Indian Express reported that Mridul and Mohapatra were responding to criticism of Dutta's right to discuss her experiences after Patekar's death.

Dutta, known for films including Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Chocolate and Dhol, has continued speaking about the impact she says the controversy had on her life. Hindustan Times reported that she claimed to have disclosed only a fraction of what she experienced in public interviews.

Frequently asked questions

Why did Tanushree Dutta face criticism after Nana Patekar's death?

The Indian Express reported that Dutta's use of the phrase "evil dead" prompted negative reactions from social media users. Hindustan Times said she subsequently defended her response, arguing that Patekar's death did not change her account of her experiences.

How did Sandhya Mridul and Sona Mohapatra support Tanushree Dutta?

According to The Indian Express, Mridul posted statements arguing that a person's death does not automatically erase the harm they may have caused. Mohapatra released a video questioning the criticism directed at Dutta and arguing that mourning should not require a woman to change her account of alleged harassment.

What was the outcome of the 2018 case against Nana Patekar?

Hindustan Times reported that an FIR was registered after Dutta accused Patekar of sexual harassment in 2018. Patekar consistently denied the allegations, and the case was subsequently closed due to insufficient evidence.