Veteran Hindi film actor Nana Patekar died at 75 after a cardiac arrest. He was found unconscious at his residence in Goa and declared dead on arrival at a hospital. His last rites were held in Pune, where he was cremated with full state honours.
The news drew tributes from across the industry, but the conversation shifted quickly to actor Tanushree Dutta, whose 2018 allegations against Patekar made her a central figure in India’s #MeToo movement.
Her first response draws fire
Dutta posted a video soon after the death, saying the media would inevitably focus on her reaction. She used the phrase ‘Evil Dead,’ said she would decide what kind of reaction to give later, and offered condolences to the family.
The remark was met with sharp criticism online. The All Indian Cine Workers Association, through founder and president Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, issued a statement condemning the comment. AICWA called the words ‘deeply objectionable, insensitive and shameful’ and accused Dutta of using the actor’s death for ‘cheap publicity.’
She defends the phrase in a second video
Dutta returned to Instagram to answer the backlash. Her argument was direct: a person’s death does not wipe out what she says she experienced. She said people were talking about forgiveness, but maintained that forgiveness begins with acknowledging the wrong, not with demanding that the accuser stay silent.
She also said she had deliberately held back her full reaction, wanting to speak after the initial wave of mourning. ‘When I say evil is dead, I mean it,’ she said, adding that the actor had been the biggest ‘asur’ of her life and that his death had given her a sense of peace.
The context behind the backlash
Dutta’s claims against Patekar became one of the defining moments of India’s #MeToo wave in 2018. She alleged that he behaved inappropriately with her during a song shoot for Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss in 2008. Patekar denied the accusations at the time, and the episode became a flashpoint for a wider debate about workplace safety in Bollywood.
- 2008: Dutta says the incident occurred during a film shoot.
- 2018: Her account becomes a landmark moment in India’s #MeToo movement.
- 2026: Patekar dies at 75; Dutta’s reaction reignites the conversation.
What this leaves open
The exchange is a reminder that public grief and unresolved allegations can occupy the same space. For many fans, Patekar remains a powerful screen presence; for others, the allegation against him is the first thing that comes to mind. Neither fact cancels the other, and the industry’s #MeToo conversation has never fully closed.
Dutta has indicated that she will share a fuller response after the immediate mourning period. Until then, the debate about how Bollywood separates an artist’s legacy from serious allegations is likely to continue.
Source: Filmibeat