'Call Out The Predators': Amid Cinematographer Pratik Shah Controversy, Hansal Mehta Shares A Long Post About 'Predatory Behaviour'

Cinematographer Pratik Shah made it to the headlines after filmmaker Abhinav Singh called him 'highly manipulative' and 'emotionally abusive'. Singh also revealed that after he called out Pratik on Instagram, nearly 20 women reached out to him, recounting their bad experiences with the cinematographer and calling him a 'predator'. Now, Hansal Mehta has shared a long post about 'predatory behaviour'.

Without mentioning anyone's name, Mehta wrote X (Twitter), "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 (sic)."

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…

— Hansal Mehta (@mehtahansal) May 31, 2025

"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. 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 (sic)," the filmmaker further wrote.

Pratik Shah Deletes His Instgaram

After the allegations against him on social media, Pratik deleted his Instagram account. His recent work is Neeraj Ghaywan's Homebound, which was premiered at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

Dharma Productions' Statement About Pratik Shah

Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, who has produced Homebound, shared a statement about Pratik, which read, "At Dharma Productions, we have a zero tolerance policy against inappropriate behavior 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 further read.