Tansuhree Dutta Allegations: 'As An Industry, We Need To Come Together And Weed Out Toxic People,' Says Pulkit Samrat In An Open Letter

Tanushree Dutta recently shocked the Nation when she spoke about an incident that took place 10 years ago. The 34-year-old accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment during a song sequence in the film. She further accused director Vivek Agnihotri of allegedly asking her to strip and dance on the sets of the 2005 film 'Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets'. Ever since Tanushree disclosed her past, this has become a burning topic of discussion. Ever since the news of the incident broke out, various Bollywood celebrities have come forward in support of the actress. Bollywood celebrities such as Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor, and Farhan Akhtar to name a few came out in support of the actress and now the 'Fukrey' actor  Pulkit Samrat has called out the industry in an open letter to take a stand on what he believes is right. 

Read: EXCLUSIVE| 'After The Mob Lynching, I Was Shaken Up For Years' Says Tanushree Dutta In Interview To Arnab Goswami

Here's his open letter: 

As a part of the Bollywood industry that stands by values such as equality, freedom, and non-discrimination, I feel I need to stand up and address the hypocrisy.

The case in point: Tanushree Dutta accusing Nana Patekar of harassment on the sets of a film. As soon as the story broke out, I heard the usual talk going around: why didn’t she say all of this sooner? Why did she wait for almost a decade since the incident? Nana Patekar? But he is such a nice guy. He has done so much for farmers.

Let me address those points one by one: A. There have been countless examples in the past where victims have come out way after the purported incident. The #MeToo movement has plenty of examples. There are two primary reasons behind it- A) As a society, we somehow encourage the culture of silence. We are scared to rub powerful people the wrong way for fear of repercussions it might have on our career or social standing. Apathy of authorities does not help matters.

However, as an industry that is constantly talking about liberal values and more power to women, we should be the first to actively try and change this culture. If we know that person a regularly indulges in inappropriate behaviour and we have seen it happening in front of us, instead of looking the other way, we should proactively report them to the authorities. Oust them from the industry. Take action against them. Yes, it will require years of unlearning what our parents taught us: If you see trouble, look the other way. You don’t want to get involved. However, what happens when the same person attacks one of your friends or family members? If you raise a hue and cry then, you should share the blame, because you didn’t stop the person when you could.

As an industry, we need to come together and weed out toxic people who cannot respect their co-workers. They are not irreplaceable. There is enough talent out there.

B. It is also important to understand that it is not easy for victims to accept that they were physically violated. Accepting it makes one feel weak, and nobody wants to feel weak. Movements such as #MeToo and #Timesup are ample proof that perpetrators get away because it is hard for victims to speak up. Power dynamics and lack of support from colleagues and acquaintances does not help matters.

C. As a privileged society, we somehow give in to the bias that the educated cannot commit such crimes. A degree is misconstrued as a character certificate. To make matters worse, if someone is actively involved in social causes, they are deemed above scrutiny. However, the Ram Rahims and the Asarams exist in the world, and they only exist because we give them the Godly status, where they are incapable of doing anything wrong. However, just like two wrongs do not make a right, a right cannot undo a wrong.

Read: EXCLUSIVE : 'No Thoughts In That Direction,' Says Tanushree Dutta On Being Asked If She Had Planned To Speak About The Harassment

In addition to Nana Patekar, she also accused choreographer Ganesh Acharya of allegedly pressurising her into doing intimate steps with the actor. 

Meanwhile, Tanushree Dutta has received two legal notices, one from Nana Patekar while the second one came in from filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri. She had accused Vivek Agnihotri of asking her to strip naked on the sets of the film 'Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets' in 2005. Dutta has been receiving multiple threats from the political party MNS and Nana Patekar and is currently under police protection. Nana Patekar and Ganesh Acharya will be holding a press conference on October 8.