Days after Karan Johar’s film Homebound, starring Ishaan Khattar, Vishal Jethwa, and Janhvi Kapoor, won accolades at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, its cinematographer, Pratik Shah, has found himself in deep trouble. Known for his work in Jubilee and CTRL, he is currently making the headlines for the serious allegations levied against him by independent filmmaker Abinav Singh, involving emotional abuse, manipulation, and inappropriate conduct.
On Thursday, Singh took to his Instagram handle and posted a series of Instagram stories calling out the Homebound cinematographer for his predatory behaviour. He publicly shared his personal experience with Shah and described him as “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive.” His stories opened up a can of worms as he explained that nearly 20 women have reached out to him, sharing similar stories of their troubling interactions with the cinematographer.
In one of his stories, he wrote, “I’ve spoken out, and now I’m hearing from others — people who’ve felt silenced or sidelined.” He added, “It’s heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator.”
SEE ALSO: Janhvi Kapoor & Vishal Jethwa Slammed For ‘Disrespecting’ Ishaan Khatter In Viral Video: ‘This Is So Rude!’
He went on to urge the men in the entertainment industry to react to and call out such behaviours in support of the women they work with, pointing out that their silence just supports the said “predator.” Quoted by News18, a part of his story read, “Not a single man messaged to ask what happened, to listen, or to offer support. That silence is loud. Use your privilege to listen — really listen. Use your platform to ask difficult questions. Call out behaviour even when it’s inconvenient. Do it not just for your mothers, daughters, and sisters — do it for your friends, colleagues, and peers. Being a man is not about ‘being able to get it up.’ Being a man — being human — is about showing up.”
Resharing one of the filmmaker’s Instagram stories, filmmaker and writer Srishti Riya Jain also shared a series of posts on her official handle. She alleged that Shah had “been on the prowl for the past four years.” She highlighted the discussions on Reddit where many had flagged his behaviour and described him as someone who habitually slid into women’s DMs and made them uncomfortable.
She went on to write, “To everyone pretending to act shocked, scandalised, and suddenly awoken from their slumber… THIS man worked on one of the ‘most empathetic’ films of the year — or so the interviews at Cannes claimed.”
SEE ALSO: Know More About Homebound; Ishaan, Vishal, Janhvi Starrer That Got A 9-Min Standing Ovation At Cannes 2025
Pratik Shah has yet to issue a public statement addressing all the allegations. It is to be noted that as a result of the severe backlash, he has since deactivated his Instagram handle. Upon clicking on his profile on the social media platform, his handle displays a “user not found” message.
