Filmmaker Hansal Mehta has called for urgent action and accountability after serious misconduct allegations surfaced against cinematographer Pratik Shah. In a strongly worded note shared on X (formerly Twitter), Mehta insisted that silence around abuse must end and predators should be held responsible without delay.Hansal Mehta breaks his silenceKnown for directing films like ‘Shahid’ and ‘Citylights’, Hansal didn’t hold back in his message. Referring to the allegations made against Pratik Shah, he urged the industry to investigate the growing pattern of powerful men abusing their positions.Mehta began his statement by saying, “Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear. Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out, unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to silence survivors. That silence must be broken.”Calling out toxic behaviour in the name of ‘genius’Mehta also called out the common practice of labelling harmful behaviour as ‘passion’ or ‘creative genius’. “The mindset that allows toxic environments to flourish in the name of ‘passion’ or ‘genius’ must end,” he stressed.His post continued, “Victims need voice. They need redress. They need a system that listens and acts. Accountability is not cancel culture. It is culture correction. We owe it to ourselves, and to those who come after us, to make our spaces safer. Cleaner. Kinder. Call out the predators. Call out the habitual abuser. Hold them accountable. Let no power be above decency.”Who is Pratik Shah?Pratik Shah worked as the cinematographer for ‘Homebound’, the only Indian feature film shown at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film was directed by Neeraj Ghaywan and produced by Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions.After the allegations surfaced, Shah deleted his Instagram account. Several women have accused him of s*xual misconduct, with some calling him a ‘predator’. One woman said, “Many women have reached out to me about Pratik and called him a predator. I’ve spoken out, and now I hear from others. People who’ve felt silenced or sidelined. It’s heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable.”Dharma Productions respondsDharma Productions issued a statement about the accusations, “At Dharma Productions, we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and s*xual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. Mr. Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project ‘Homebound’ and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn’t receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film ‘Homebound’.”
