Tanushree Dutta’s Comeback Is A Powerful Story And Inspiring To All Those Women Who Aren’t Afraid To Speak Out
Niharika has a passion for all things art, music, and travel and has over 4 years of experience in writing for social media. During her spare time, she likes experimenting in the kitchen, playing vide... read full bio
Those of us who grew up in the early 2000s probably remember Tanushree Dutta for her roles in popular movies like Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Risk, and Apartment. However, the former model had gone into hiatus since 2010 and many people had no clue why. During an interview in 2018, Tanushree revealed that she had faced alleged harassment at the hands of popular actor Nana Patekar. Tanushree became one of the first actresses in India to openly support the #MeToo movement and share her own story. The actress had earlier addressed the harassment and had even filed a complaint against Patekar in 2008 with Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA). However, they refused to take action as they considered it a criminal case. Here is her story and how she regained her confidence and decided to come back into the acting world:
In This Article
Comeback Kid
There’s no denying that incidents of assault and harassment lead to a lot of trauma and can cause drastic changes in a person’s personality, weight, and even behavior. Tanushree detailed how she took a break to recuperate from what had happened to her. She went to Ladakh and stayed at an ashram for a year and a half to gain some peace of mind. She spoke about how she learned the art of meditation and it helped her cope with the depression she was undergoing at the time. The actress then shifted to the United States and presumably was working over there.
It’s 2020 now and Tanushree is back with a bang. Tanushree took to her Instagram account to clear the air around what she was doing and shared a stunning picture of herself after losing weight. Tanushree shared how she was training for a job in IT in the US and how she was offered a job in the defense sector. She stated that the job would have required her to stay in the United States for at least three years which is why didn’t take it up. She spoke about how she had lost her will to act after the incidents that she had gone through but had decided to return to India and work on some up and coming projects. Tanushree stated that she had some job offers in Bollywood movies as well as OTT platforms and added that her “arch-enemies” are facing issues being cast.
She spoke about how she did not want to make a hasty decision and change her profession as she has a lot of love for acting. Tanushree also mentioned that she has received offers from the South Indian film industry as well. However, she added that due to the ongoing pandemic, she does not wish to give away any major details until things are a little more concrete. She ended her caption with, “I’m looking good, getting back my sass as I’ve lost 15 kgs and there is a strong buzz amongst industry folks of my imminent return to acting!”
Pageant Beginnings And #MeToo
At the tender age of 20, Tanushree made waves when she won the Femina Miss India pageant that was held in Mumbai in the year 2003. Following her big win, Tanushree went on to represent India at the Miss Universe 2004 pageant. She was placed as the sixth runner up and even beat current Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot in the competition. After achieving success, she decided to foray into the world of acting. She made her Bollywood debut with the films, Chocolate and Aashiq Banaya Aapne.
On the sets of her film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss, Tanushree had stated that she had been harassed by actor Nana Patekar and she had even filed a complaint. However, it wasn’t taken seriously and the actress was extremely traumatized by the incident. She later brought up the incident of harassment once again during an interview in 2013 and was ignored once more. It was only after the #MeToo movement sparked a wave in Hollywood, when her complaints were taken more seriously. During an interview, Tanushree shared her own story and alleged that Nana Patekar had even involved his friends in harassing her after she had spoken up. However, in 2019, Nana Patekar was cleared of all the misconduct and harassment allegations. All of this happened while Tanushree was living in the United States.
Tanushree has shared some striking images of how much weight she has lost over the course of time and she is looking absolutely incredible. She also revealed that she had shot a commercial for a beauty salon and that she couldn’t wait to finally get back to work. Tanushree shared a cute video of herself from the shoot day and she looks absolutely wonderful and confident in her skin!
India still has a lot to accomplish when it comes to making women feel safe in their different job roles. We’re really hopeful that Tanushree can make the comeback she desires and that she does well. What do you think of Tanushree’s brave story? Please let us know all your thoughts in the comment section down below.
Banner Image Credits: iamtanushreeduttaofficial / Instagram
