Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away on Oct. 8 after suffering a cardiac arrest in Goa. Soon after news of his demise emerged, Tanushree Dutta shared a video on Instagram in which she spoke about having heard the news while travelling to Lucknow for an important work event.
Her comments, particularly her reference to “evil dead”, quickly faced criticism on social media. Several social media users accused the actress of being insensitive towards Patekar following his death.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
Now, the actress has defended her remark while interacting with the media in Mumbai. Shortly after Patekar's funeral, Dutta urged people to understand her perspective. Reiterating her stance, the actress said that the late actor would always remain ‘evil' in her eyes.
Tanushree Dutta Defends ‘Evil Dead' Remark
Tanushree was quoted as saying by a report, “Mere liye toh evil dead hi hai. Main jis cheez se guzari hu pichle 5 saal se, main itna pareshaan hui hu. (For me, evil is dead. What I have gone through over the last five years since #MeToo, I have been so troubled.).”
“Aap mere perspective se dekhe. Jo victim raha hai, jo case chal raha hai, mujh par kitna pressure daala gaya mere case ko wapis lene ke liye. Mujhe laalach diya gaya, maine case wapis nahi liya (If you look at it from my perspective, the one who has been the victim, the one who has been troubled while the case is ongoing, how much pressure was put on me to withdraw my case? Yet, I did not withdraw it. I was offered bribes, but I still didn't withdraw the case),” she added.
What Did Tanushree Dutta Say?
In the video, the actress said that she had heard about the news of Patekar's death. She wanted to concentrate on her professional commitments but was concerned that the news of Patekar's death could dominate media conversations around her event.
Calling it an “odd day”, Tanushree stated, “I have heard the news. Today is my work day. I am going to Lucknow for an event, and I want to focus on that. She added, “I'm doing a very big event in Lucknow and I had my entire day planned out. I wanted to do lives, post content and now I'm worried that in the evening all the media is going to be interested in ‘evil dead'. So, I will give my reaction once I figure out what kind of reaction I should have. Definitely condolences to the family.”
Also Read: OTT Releases This Weekend: Animals, Reporting Live, Above & Below And More — Here's What To Watch
Tanushree And Nana's #MeToo History
Tanushree Dutta, also former Miss India Universe and a model, was embroiled in a legal tussle with Nana Patekar during the #MeToo movement in 2018.
She accused Patekar of inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment during the shooting of a song for the 2008 film Horn Ok Pleassss.
In June 2019, Patekar was cleared of the sexual harassment charges by the police. The B-Summary report filed by the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai said that the complaint filed by Tanushree could be "malicious" and "out of revenge."
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
