After cancelling his scheduled press conference on the ground that his lawyer had advised him against speaking to the media, senior Bollywood actor Nana Patekar on Monday trashed the sexual harassment claims made by actress Tanushree Dutta, by saying that, “Whatever was the truth (spoken by me 10 years ago) remains the same today and will continue to be tomorrow as well”.
Patekar, who cancelled his press conference scheduled at the Celebrations Sports Club at Lokhandwala Complex at Andheri at 3 pm, interacted briefly with media persons in front of his nearby residence. “My lawyer has advised me not to speak to the media on the matter. That’s why I am silent. Otherwise, I would have had no issues talking to the press,” Patekar said.
However, when the media persons persisted him with queries, Patekar said: ”Whatever I had to say, I had said 10 years ago....kal jo sach hai, who aaj sach hai, aaj jo sach hai, who kal sach rahega (what was true yesterday is a truth today, and what is truth today would be truth tomorrow)".
Patekar’s reiteration of his earlier stand that he had not subjected Tanushree to any sexual harassment as claimed by Tanushree comes two days after the actress lodging a complaint with the Oshiwara police station against Patekar under sections 354 (Assault or criminal force to women with intent to outrage her modesty), 354-A (Assault or use of criminal force with intent to disrobe her) and section 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty o a woman) of Indian Penal Code.
On his return to the city from from Jaipur in Rajstthan where he was shooting for his upcoming film 'Housefull 4', Patekar had said: "Jo jhooth hai, woh jhooth hai (A lie is a lie)....Dus saal pehle iska jawaab de chuka hoon (I had said this 10 years ago),"
In her complaint made to the police, Tanushree alleged that the incident took place on March 26, 2008 during the shooting of a song in the film “Horn Ok Pleaseee”. The entire was to be picturised on the actress, while Patekar had only line in the song. She said that before the shoot, she had made it clear to the producer and director that she would not enact or perform any lewd, vulgar or uncomfortable steps in the particular song.
“On the 4th day of the shoot, 26th March 2008, while shooting was going on, Nana Patekar’s behaviour was inappropriate towards me. He was on the set despite his work in the song being over and he was grabbing me by the arms and pushing me around on the pretext of teaching me how to dance. When he was teaching indecently and unnecessarily, then I felt very uncomfortable because of his behaviour and I felt he has outraged my modesty,” Tanushree alleged.
“He told the choreographer and other junior artists to back away so that he could teach me the dance steps through he was not a choreographer and he was not required during the choreography as per my previous rehearsals,” the actress added.
“After the incident, I was under tremendous shock, I suffered psychological trauma, was unable to take up work, suffered huge monetary losses in crores and therefore I decide*d to take action through film industry by lodging a written complaint with the Cine and TV Artistes Association. The Association decided the matter and passed the order without considering my complaint for ap0logy,” Tanushree stated in her police complaint.
In her complaint, Tanushreee also named choreographer Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui, director Rakesh Sarang and some MNS workers who allegedly damaged her car and pulled her out of her car, as co-accused.