When Tanushree Dutta Called Nana Patekar A ‘Liar’ And Compared Him To Asaram Bapu

Tanushree Dutta once compared Nana Patekar to theself-proclaimed saint Asaram Bapu. A court found Asaram guilty of raping a minor girl. Read the full throwback story here.

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Nana Patekar No More

The death of veteran actor Nana Patekar at 75 has brought several chapters from his long career back into the spotlight, including his controversial public dispute with actress Tanushree Dutta. Patekar died on October 8, 2026, after being found unconscious at his Goa residence. Manipal Hospital confirmed that the actor died following cardiac arrest.

Among the most discussed episodes involving Patekar was Dutta’s sexual harassment allegation, which became one of the early flashpoints of India’s #MeToo movement in 2018.

Image Credit : Nana Patekar - नाना पाटेकर/ Facebook

What Did Tanushree Dutta Allege?

Tanushree Dutta accused Patekar of sexually harassing her during the filming of the 2009 movie Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. She alleged that she was uncomfortable with changes made to a dance sequence and subsequently left the shoot. She also alleged that people associated with the production harassed her after she walked out. Patekar and others named in her allegations denied the claims.

The controversy resurfaced repeatedly over the following years, with both sides maintaining their positions.

Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar Controversy

Years ago, Tanushree Dutta filed a police complaint against Nana Patekar. She accused the veteran actor of sexually harassing her on the sets of the film Horn Ok Pleassss.

Tanushree compared Nana Patekar to Asaram Bapu in Mumbai.

The actress spoke to the media in Mumbai along with her lawyer Nitin Satpute. She made a huge statement during this chat. Tanushree compared Nana Patekar to the self-proclaimed godman Asaram Bapu. A court convicted Asaram in 2018 for raping a minor girl.

The actress challenged the Mumbai Police B-summary report.

Mumbai Police filed a B-summary report in the sexual harassment case. Tanushree Dutta refused to back down. The actress filed a protest petition against this police report. She wanted to keep her fight against actor Nana Patekar alive.

Tanushree called Nana Patekar's simple lifestyle a big lie.

Tanushree claimed that money buys justice and respect. She said Nana Patekar gets his money from the Naam Foundation. This NGO collects crores from corporate companies to help poor farmers. She accused the actor of faking his poor man image for the cameras.

The actress questioned the Naam Foundation charity funds.

Tanushree said a white Gandhi topi and kurta easily fool people. She pointed out that Asaram Bapu also wore white clothes and folded his hands outside temples to look like a saint. She openly questioned if Nana Patekar actually gives the collected funds to farmers.

Tanushree mocked Nana Patekar's flood relief housing claims.

The actress slammed the actor over his claims of building 500 homes for flood victims. Tanushree joked that she could also call herself the queen of Timbuktu and claim she built homes for aliens on the moon. She stated that nobody actually inspects the people who run these NGOs.