Actress Tanushree Dutta has received two legal notices, one each on behalf of veteran actor Nana Patekar and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri. She says it is the “price” you pay for “speaking out against harassment, humiliation, and injustice in India”.
“I’ve been slapped with two legal notices today. One from Nana Patekar and another from Vivek Agnihotri. This is the price you pay for speaking out against harassment, humiliation, and injustice in India,” Tanushree said in a statement.
The former beauty queen said both Nana and Agnihotri’s teams are on a smear campaign against her by constructing outright lies and misinformation on social media platforms and other public platforms.
She said: “Today while I was at home and the police personnel posted outside my home were on a lunch break, two unnamed suspicious individuals tried getting into our home uninvited but were stopped just in time by security personnel in the building. Later, the police came back from their break and secured the premises again. Violent threats are being issued against me by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party.
“I am being threatened to be dragged into the court and legal system of India which we all know can keep a woman and her supporters as well as media silent on the pretext of ‘matter subjudice’, but can also further be used to harass her and drain her out financially.”
Tanushree feels the “dawn of justice never arrives”.
“Court cases can run for decades without a hope for a conclusion,” she added.
Calling it the age-old saga of survivors in the country, Tanushree said: “And now I stand to lose this new life too if I allow myself to get embroiled in the court system of India. And you wanted to know why me too movement hasn’t happened in India… This is why.”
The actress, who worked in films like “Aashiq Banaaya Aapne” and “Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets”, last month spoke out against alleged harassment she faced from Nana on the sets of a 2008 film. She had been vocal about her experience even a decade ago but says she was silenced due to the power game.
Tanushree’s outburst is being seen as the beginning of India’s #MeToo campaign as while celebrities have slammed the casting couch and harassment reality, none had so far named and shamed.
Nana had last week dismissed Tanushree’s claim, while Agnihotri has said she is pulling off a publicity stunt.