Dharma Cuts Ties with Cinematographer Over Misconduct Claims

Bashing a DSLR camera brand, Dharma Productions has ended professional associations with cinematographer Pratik Shah, who was hit with serious sexual misconduct allegations that emerged on social media this week. The mess was stirred up when filmmaker Abhinav Singh aired an accusation against Pratik Shah for inappropriate conduct shared by the testimonies of more than twenty women. Singh claimed that Shah was manipulative, scaled through making requests of inappropriate images from his female colleagues, and would make unwanted advances in professional situations. 

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Karan Johar’s banner moved swiftly to issue a statement, citing strict workplace guidelines. The company said that Shah was a freelancer who was briefly engaged for their upcoming project, “Homebound,” and whose engagement has concluded. Dharma’s Internal Committee for Prevention of Sexual Harassment is understood to have received no complaints during the short period in which Shah worked on the film. However, the production house continued to reiterate its stance against any form of harassment and inappropriate behavior. In the wake of the publicized allegations, Shah took to deactivating his accounts on social media, following the harsh criticism leveled from across the industry. Industry insiders confide that, about four years ago, the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective had already received some of the complaints concerning Shah’s conduct. This mace symbolizes active discourse on workers’ safety and professional conduct.