Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away at the age of 75. Just hours after his death, a video of Tanushree Dutta surfaced, shocking everyone. In the video, she was seen calling Nana “Evil Dad.” Tanushree said, “I heard the news. Today is my workday. I’m going to Lucknow for an event, and I want to focus on that. I have a very big and important event in Lucknow. My whole day is planned. I’ll post and go live. I’m worried that the entire media will be busy covering “Evil Dad” right now. I will give my reaction. I’m still thinking about how to react. My condolences to the family.”
But then the video cuts off. This controversial and incomplete reaction has revived an old controversy, as the feud between Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar is not new. It began about 18 years ago. In 2008, a song from the film Horn OK Please was being shot. Tanushree alleged that Nana Patekar, who was not a part of the song, touched her inappropriately on the pretext of explaining dance steps. Tanushree said that she was uncomfortable with the situation and later left the shoot.
The matter didn’t escalate much at the time, but nearly 10 years later, in 2018, Tanushree once again spoke openly about the incident. This time, it wasn’t just another old Bollywood controversy. The #MeToo movement was gaining momentum in India, and Tanushree’s allegations sparked a major debate in Bollywood. An FIR was subsequently filed against Nana Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Sameer Siddiqui, and director Rakesh Sarang. However, Nana Patekar denied these allegations, stating that there was no truth to Tanushree’s allegations.
Then began the police investigation. The police did not find sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations and pursue a case. The police also cited witness statements, stating that they did not corroborate Tanushree’s version. But the story didn’t end there.Tanushree Dutta opposed the police closure report and demanded a new investigation. This meant the case remained a subject of legal and public debate for a long time. Now, let’s turn to the most important point. In 2025, the Andheri Magistrate Court in Mumbai delivered its verdict on Tanushree Dutta’s complaint. It’s important to understand one thing carefully here: the court did not conclude that the alleged incident in 2008 was false, nor did it conclude that Nana Patekar was guilty. The court primarily relied on the legal time limit.
The alleged incident occurred in 2008, and the FIR was filed nearly 10 years later, in 2018. The court acknowledged that there was a legal limitation on taking cognizance of the case after such a long delay. Therefore, the complaint was not pursued further, and the court did not render any final conclusion on the facts of the alleged incident. This means the case neither reached a trial nor did the court determine what actually happened in 2008.This is why, when understanding this controversy, it’s crucial to understand the police closure report and the court order separately. And now, on the day of Nana Patekar’s death, this same year-old controversy has resurfaced. On one hand, the entire industry is remembering Nana Patekar’s illustrious career, talking about his powerful acting, his iconic characters, and his contribution to Hindi and Marathi cinema. On the other hand, Tanushree’s reaction, in which she used the term “evil dad” to describe Nana.
