Hansal Mehta urges to call out ‘predators’ at creative workplaces amid allegations against Pratik Shah: 'We owe it'

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta penned a strong note on X, formerly Twitter, account, urging people to call out abusers and predators at workplaces, especially those working in creative fields. His words arrive amid allegations of abuse and misconduct against cinematographer Pratik Shah. Pratik recently worked on Neeraj Ghaywan's film Homebound.

Hansal Mehta on predators at workplace

Hansal talked at length about men and women in power who can equally inflict harm.

He said, “Abuse thrives in silence. It festers in fear. Predatory behaviour by men in positions of power must be investigated thoroughly, and if found true, must be called out — unequivocally, and without delay. For too long, predators have weaponised influence, privilege, and fear to silence survivors. That silence must be broken.”

“But let’s be clear — abuse of power is not confined to one gender. Women in positions of authority, too, have inflicted harm. Abuse has many forms. It is not always sexual. Mental, emotional and psychological abuse can be just as scarring. Just as violating. Workspaces — especially creative ones — often cloak toxicity in the name of ‘passion’ or ‘genius.’ That must stop. No art, no film, no script is worth the cost of someone’s safety or sanity.”

Hansal also talked about victims in these situations.

“Victims need voice. They need redress. They need a system that listens — and acts. Accountability is not cancel culture. It is culture correction. We owe it to ourselves, and to those who come after us, to make our spaces safer. Cleaner. Kinder. Call out the predators. Call out the habitual abuser. Hold them accountable. Let no power be above decency.”

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While Hansal did not mention any name, his statement arrives amid serious allegations against Pratik Shah who worked as the cinematographer of films like Jubilee, CTRL and Homebound.

Allegations against Pratik Shah 

Independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh accused Pratik of abuse. He claimed that many women reached out to him regarding Pratik and called him a ‘predator' in a long note on Instagram.

Filmmaker-writer Srishti Riya Jain also amplified several accusations against Pratik on Reddit.

“To everyone pretending to act shocked, scandalised, and suddenly awoken from their slumber… THIS man worked on one of the ‘most empathetic’ films of the year — or so the interviews at Cannes claimed,” she shared.

Reportedly, Pratik has either deactivated or deleted his Instagram account. He did not address the allegations against him so far.

As per THR India, four years ago Pratik Shah faced a similar allegation against him. However, he was let go after a warning.