Veteran actor Nana Patekar died on Thursday after a cardiac arrest, at the age of 75. Within hours, actor Tanushree Dutta—whose 2018 allegation against him became one of the first high-profile moments of India’s Me Too movement—had reacted briefly on Instagram, choosing to keep her workday on track.
Dutta chooses work first
Dutta was travelling to Lucknow for an event when the news broke. In a series of Instagram Stories, she paused from airport updates to address the development without naming Patekar directly. Her remarks mixed Hindi and English: “Maine suna hai, I have heard the news,” she said, adding that she wanted to focus on the event, which she described as important to her.
She said the news had landed on “an odd day” because she had planned Live sessions and content around the Lucknow event. The clip ended after she offered a brief line: “So, definitely condolences to the family but…” She said she would offer a fuller reaction once she worked out “what kind of reaction I should have.”
- Nana Patekar died of a cardiac arrest on October 8 at 75.
- Tanushree Dutta sent condolences to his family while travelling for work.
- Her 2018 harassment allegation was dismissed in court by 2025.
Why the history follows her reaction
Dutta’s claim dates to the set of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss, the 2009 comedy where she alleged Patekar harassed her. She said she had complained to the Cine & TV Artists Association in 2008, but no action followed. When she spoke publicly in 2018, the account became a catalyst for a broader Indian Me Too reckoning, alongside Sri Reddy’s protest in Hyderabad.
Patekar denied the allegations. An FIR was registered, the case was closed in 2019 for lack of sufficient evidence, and in 2025 a Mumbai court dismissed the proceedings on the ground that the complaint was filed beyond the legal limitation period.
The moment to watch
For Hindi film fans, Patekar’s passing closes a long screen career; for those who followed the Me Too news cycle, it also revives a question that was legally closed but culturally unresolved. Dutta has said she will respond later, so the next update is likely to come after her Lucknow engagement.
Source: Hindustan Times