Nana Patekar wants his side of the story heard
Amidst sexual misconduct and criminal intimidation allegations leveled by Tanushree Dutta, actor Nana Patekar has said his story should also be heard. The actor allegedly assaulted the actress on the set of 'Horn 'Ok' Pleassss'. Tanushree received support from certain quarters of Bollywood, while others have remained markedly silent. However, Nana wants his version of this controversial event to see the light of day.
A promise of another narrative
Nana opened up about the harassment allegations against him and said that he was shooting in Jaisalmer but would return to Mumbai by October 7 or 8. After his return from the 'Housefull 4' shoot, the actor has promised to hold a press conference where he will answer all the questions posed to him regarding the controversy. He claims he has nothing to hide.
The risk of maligning Nana Patekar
Nana urged people not to jump to conclusions before hearing his side of events. Claiming no need for validation of his good behavior, he said that he didn't enjoy dancing and had no reason to include a lewd step. He spoke of Tanushree's serious allegations saying he had the option of denying them or taking her to court. Notably, he has done the latter.
Is perfect empathy possible for the public?
Nana's request must be taken seriously, in the opinion of this writer. In cases of sexual harassment, there are always contradictory narratives. Our first instinct must be to listen to the survivor's story with empathy. However, our empathy must not lead to biased conclusions. We and our sense of justice owe it to the perpetrator to listen to their version before reaching any conclusion.