I am neither Tanushree nor Nana: Amitabh Bachchan responds to actor’s harassment claims

Amitabh Bachchan at the Thursday trailer launch event for Thugs of Hindostan evaded answering questions about Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment against actor Nana Patekar. Asked about his reaction to the claims - a rare instance in Bollywood that an actor has named her alleged abuser publicly - Bachchan said, according to journalist Ankur Pathak, “Neither am I Tanushree, nor am I Nana Patekar, so how can I comment on this?”

Meanwhile, Amitabh’s Thugs co-star, Aamir Khan, had a less evasive response. He said, according to Pinkvilla, “Without knowing anything I cannot comment on this. But if something has happened, it is always sad and people should investigate.”

Tanushree Dutta has alleged that noted actor Nana Patekar behaved inappropriately with her on the set of 2008’s Horn OK Pleassss. She has accused the film’s director and choreographer of being complicit in her abuse, alleging that she was hounded by goons, harassed for years and refused to be believed.

Amitabh used a similar formula when he was asked about Priyanka Chopra being trolled for wearing a skirt at a meeting with PM Narendra Modi. “I am neither the PM nor Priyanka Chopra. How can I answer then?” he had said.

Similarly, when actor Ranbir Kapoor and director Rajkumar Hirani were asked about choreographer Saroj Khan’s controversial remarks about the casting couch problem in Bollywood - Khan had said that such instances are consensual - Hirani was caught on video laughing while Ranbir said, “If it’s there, it’s the worst kind. I have never faced casting couch.”

Thugs of Hindostan is being pegged as one of the most expensive films ever made in Bollywood. It’s a swashbuckling adventure film feature naval battles and sword fights, bound by a plot involving the independence struggle. The film also stars Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh.

Follow @htshowbiz for more