Neeraj Ghaywan’s latest project, ‘Homebound’, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, has been making headlines for unfortunate reasons. Cinematographer Pratik Shah who worked on the film has faced serious allegations of abuse and inappropriate conduct involving several women. In response, Dharma Productions that has produced the film, led by Karan Johar, has released an official statement addressing the matter.
Dharma Productions Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Policy
Johar’s well-known production company, Dharma Productions, released an official statement on Saturday, highlighting their firm stance of zero tolerance toward any such accusations. The studio’s statement said, “At Dharma Productions, we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously. Mr. Pratik Shah was a freelancer on the project Homebound and was working on it for a limited period. His engagement with us has been completed. During this limited period, our internal committee for POSH didn’t receive any complaints against him from any cast or crew on our film ‘Homebound’.”
Pratik Shah deletes his
Cinematographer Pratik Shah, recognised for his contributions to ‘Jubilee’, ‘CTRL’, and ‘Homebound’, has removed his Instagram profile following recent controversies, rendering his social media accounts unavailable.
Multiple Allegations and Accusations Surface
Multiple women have come forward with allegations against him, some even referring to him as a ‘predator.’ One woman shared, “Many women have reached out to me about Pratik and called him a predator.” She further expressed, “I’ve spoken out, and now I hear from others. People who’ve felt silenced or sidelined. It’s heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable.”Industry Voices Raise ConcernsWriter and filmmaker Srishti Riya Jain drew widespread attention to the allegations against Pratik by sharing them on Reddit. She condemned the film industry’s tendency to ignore misconduct by well-known personalities, stating, “To everyone pretending to act shocked, scandalized, and suddenly awakened… THIS man worked on one of the ‘most empathetic’ films of the year — or so the interviews at Cannes claimed.” The Reddit thread featured comments from users calling Pratik “a total sleazeball,” with remarks like, “He slides into every girl’s DMs and talks crap,” and, “He sent me a follow request last year while I was liking a mutual friend’s pictures. I accepted it, and he said it was a mistake. I unfollowed him immediately — it felt off.”
No Public Response from Pratik Shah Yet
As of now, Pratik has yet to respond publicly to the accusations. Reports from THR India reveal that he encountered comparable allegations four years prior, after which he was apparently dismissed following a formal warning.
