Pratik Shah has spoken publicly for the first time since multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behaviour against him surfaced last year. In a statement, the cinematographer apologised for his actions, admitted that he made serious mistakes, and said he has spent the past year in therapy and rehabilitation while working towards becoming a better person.
Pratik Shah apologises and takes responsibility
Addressing the allegations, Pratik said he deeply regrets the pain he caused in both his professional and personal lives. He reflected on how his growing success affected his judgement and admitted that he failed to recognise the influence and privilege he held. “I want to address the online allegations made against me last year. I am deeply remorseful for the mistakes I made and the hurt that I have caused, both in my professional interactions and in my past personal relationships. However, I soon realised that arguing details did not change the reality of my mistakes. The breakdown of my reputation and relationships was the direct result of my own poor choices, and I take full responsibility for the shame and pain I brought upon my family, friends, and collaborator,” Pratik said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter India.
He added, “Looking back, I recognise that I allowed the increasing attention and growth of my career to cloud my judgement, leading to actions that were self-centered and wrong. I operated out of insecurity and a misguided yearning for validation, and I regret that I did not stop to consider the power I wielded as a person of privilege and influence.”
What were the allegations against Pratik Shah?
Pratik Shah, best known for his work on Jubilee and CTRL, came under intense scrutiny after filmmaker Abhinav Singh publicly accused him of being “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive.” Abhinav further claimed that over 20 women had reached out to him, alleging that Shah often crossed professional boundaries and turned conversations in an inappropriate sexual direction.
The allegations quickly gained traction across the industry. The Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective (IWCC) had also flagged Shah after a junior cinematographer reportedly accused him of making inappropriate advances.
The controversy soon began affecting his professional commitments. Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan noticeably left Pratik’s name out of promotional posts for Homebound, sparking discussion online. He was also dropped from the upcoming Sourav Ganguly biopic starring Rajkummar Rao, which is directed by Vikramaditya Motwane and produced by Luv Ranjan.
Responding to the controversy at the time, Homebound producers Dharma Productions clarified that Shah had only been associated with the film as a freelancer for a short duration. The production house also said that its Internal Committee under the POSH policy had not received any complaints against him during his time on the project, while reaffirming its strict stand against workplace harassment.
“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,” the statement had read.
Pratik Shah’s work projects
Before the allegations came to light, one of Pratik Shah’s final projects was shooting patchwork portions for YRF Entertainment’s upcoming series, Akka.