Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 1 : Dharma Productions, the production house behind the critically acclaimed film 'Homebound', has released an official statement in response to the recent abuse allegations levelled against the film's cinematographer, Pratik Shah.
The allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards women surfaced on social media platforms, prompting Shah to delete his Instagram account amid the backlash.
In the aftermath of these claims, Dharma Productions has responded, clarifying that no formal complaints were made against Shah during the production of the film.
A statement from the production company was released that claimed, "At Dharma Productions, we have a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment toward any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously."
The statement further detailed that Shah, who worked as a freelance cinematographer on 'Homebound', was engaged for a limited duration.
The production house emphasised that during this period, no complaints were filed with the internal committee established under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) guidelines.
"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 added.
'Homebound' which made history as the only Indian film to be featured at this year's Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section, has garnered significant international attention.
The film, produced by Karan Johar, Adar Poonawalla, Apoorva Mehta, and Somen Mishra, received a stellar reception at Cannes, with a standing ovation.
The film stars an ensemble cast, including Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vishal Jethwa.
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