Sona Mohapatra Backs Tanushree Dutta After Nana Patekar’s Death, Questions Criticism of Actor

Mumbai, October 9: Singer Sona Mohapatra has voiced support for actor Tanushree Dutta following the reported death of veteran actor Nana Patekar, questioning why a woman who spoke publicly about her alleged sexual harassment experience should be expected to remain silent.

In a video shared on X and Instagram, Mohapatra criticised people targeting Dutta after Patekar’s death. She said that while mourning an actor was understandable, it was unfair to expect a woman to disregard her own experiences to accommodate public grief.

In her post on X, Mohapatra wrote, “Death deserves dignity. So do the living.” She questioned whether a person’s death should erase uncomfortable aspects of their past and used the hashtags #TanushreeDutta, #MeToo and #NanaPatekar.

Sona Mohapatra questions criticism of Tanushree

In the video, Mohapatra acknowledged Patekar’s contributions as an actor and said she understood why people were mourning him. However, she expressed concern over the criticism directed at Dutta, who accused Patekar of sexual harassment in 2018.

Mohapatra said Dutta had faced public humiliation and professional consequences after speaking out and questioned why she should now be expected to suppress her account of the experience.

She also criticised women who had joined the criticism of Dutta, asking whether humiliating another woman was an appropriate form of public engagement.

According to Mohapatra, people could celebrate an artist’s work, mourn his death and offer compassion to his family without demanding that someone who had spoken about an alleged traumatic experience rewrite their personal history.

Revisiting the #MeToo controversy

Dutta accused Patekar of sexual harassment on the sets of the 2009 film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Her allegations in 2018 became one of the prominent episodes of India’s #MeToo movement. Patekar denied the allegations.

Mohapatra also questioned the difference in how society responds to blunt behaviour by men and women, arguing that women often face criticism for conduct that might be accepted as part of a male public figure’s personality.

She maintained that Dutta was entitled to speak about her own experience and said compassion should not involve humiliating someone who had raised allegations of harassment.

Mohapatra’s intervention has brought renewed attention to the debate over public responses to allegations of sexual harassment following the death of a prominent figure, and the importance of allowing those who have spoken out to share their perspectives.