‘Homebound’ cinematographer Pratik Shah faces abuse allegations, deactivates Instagram

Prominent cinematographer Pratik Shah, known for his work on projects such as Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound, Vikramaditya Motwane’s Jubilee and CTRL, is currently facing a wave of serious accusations regarding inappropriate and emotionally abusive behaviour. Independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh publicly spearheaded these allegations, leading to Pratik deactivating his Instagram account on Thursday evening.

Abhinav Singh, Srishti Riya Jain, open up about allegations on Pratik Shah

Abhinav Singh, director of short films including Sita and Yatri Kripya Dhyan De, took to Instagram to call Pratik “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive”, citing testimonies from multiple women. He claimed that over 20 women had reached out to him, labelling Pratik a “predator”, with allegations ranging from conversations crossing into “sexual” and “creepy” territory to sending or soliciting unsolicited nude pictures.

This isn’t the first time Pratik has come under scrutiny. According to a leading news publication, a source close to the Indian Women Cinematographers' Collective (IWCC) revealed that approximately four years ago, a young cinematographer had reported Pratik for soliciting a nude picture after she contacted him on Instagram for work. The IWCC intervened, and Pratik reportedly apologised, calling it an “one-off incident”.

Filmmaker-writer Srishti Riya Jain also shared screenshots on her Instagram stories, echoing the sentiment that Pratik had “been on the prowl since 4 years” and highlighting similar accusations on Reddit. The unfolding controversy has sparked significant discussion within the film industry, particularly given Pratik’s recent attendance at the Cannes Film Festival with the Homebound team. Shah has yet to publicly address the allegations.