“I’m Being Harassed At My Own Home”: Tanushree Dutta Breaks Down In Disturbing Video
Actress Tanushree Dutta, the woman who ignited Bollywood’s ‘MeToo’ movement in 2018, shared a tearful video on Instagram on Tuesday, alleging continued harassment at her own home for over four years.
Once hailed as a powerful voice against sexual misconduct in the film industry, Tanushree now pleads for help, vulnerable, visibly shaken, and exhausted.
In the video, a visibly distressed Tanushree can be seen crying inconsolably. She says, “Guys, I’m being harassed in my own home. I just called the cops. They came and told me to come to the police station to launch a formal complaint. I’m probably going tomorrow or the day after… I’m not well. I’ve been harassed so much in the last 4–5 years that my health has deteriorated.”
View this post on Instagram
In her Instagram caption, she wrote: “I’m sick and tired of this harassment!! It’s been going on since 2018 #MeToo. Aaj fed up hokar maine police ko call kiya. Please, someone, help me! Do something before it’s too late.”
The actress, who rose to national prominence with her bravery during the #MeToo movement, now claims she is being mentally and physically drained by unknown perpetrators around her home.
In a startling statement, Tanushree alleged manipulation and surveillance even within her own living space. “I can’t even hire maids because they planted maids in my house. I had such bad experiences with them stealing and doing strange things. Now I do all the work myself. My house is a mess. I can’t rest. I can’t live.”
She added that strangers ring her doorbell despite clearly marked “Do Not Disturb” instructions, and she’s endured loud, violent noises outside her home at all hours. Today, this was going on all day. I was so unwell and couldn’t even rest.”
Tanushree Dutta was the first prominent figure to speak out during India’s #MeToo movement, when she accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her on the sets of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss in 2009.
Although her allegations were first made in 2008, they gained widespread attention in 2018, when she reignited the case during a televised interview. The movement she catalysed led to a cascade of similar testimonies in Bollywood and beyond.
However, despite the media attention and public support, the legal outcomes have been disappointing. In 2019, the Mumbai Police cleared Patekar of the charges, filing a B-summary report stating the complaint appeared “malicious” and “out of revenge.”
Tanushree’s sister, actress Ishita Dutta, had earlier spoken about the toll the movement had taken on her sibling. In a 2019 interview with IANS, she recalled how Tanushree’s car was once attacked during protests, and how police intervention had prevented the situation from escalating.
Also, read| ‘My Melbourne’ Returns: Rajkumar Hirani, Shoojit Sircar, Anjali Menon, & Onir To Direct Second Edition
Now, six years after #MeToo, Tanushree appears to be living in fear and isolation, allegedly facing systemic harassment that remains invisible to the public eye.
Tanushree Dutta, who was crowned Femina Miss India Universe in 2004, has starred in notable Bollywood films like Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Bhagam Bhag, and Dhol. But it is her role as a whistleblower and the personal cost of that decision that defines her narrative today.
