Tanushree Dutta says, “I wasn’t thinking much then. Following the incident, all kinds of rumours were being spread about me. I was being termed ‘unprofessional’, among other things. I spoke up out of desperation, in an attempt to defend myself.”
The venue for the press conference on Wednesday wore a deserted feel as a handful of media persons waited for Tanushree Dutta to arrive. With most of those present in a rush to make their way to the trailer launch of upcoming big ticket film, Thugs of Hindostan, an air of restless and impatience replaced the usual media flurry that surrounds Bollywood press meets.
Former Miss India and Bollywood actor, Dutta has spent the last couple of days giving interviews about the harassment she faced 10 years ago at the hands of veteran actor Nana Patekar. In spite of relentlessly talking about the issue, the 34-year-old addressed every question addressed to her by every media person in the room. Following the press meet, in an interview to The Indian Express, Dutta, who has since relocated to the US, spoke about the incident, the impact it has had on her life and her hope that calling out her perpetrators will encourage other young girls to speak up about predators.
