Singer Sona Mohapatra has spoken out in strong support of actor and former beauty queen Tanushree Dutta following the death of veteran actor Nana Patekar. In a video shared across her social media platforms, Mohapatra criticized the public hypocrisy surrounding the mourning of the late actor, pointing out the unfair backlash directed at Dutta for refusing to erase her past experiences.
Nana Patekar passed away in Goa at the age of 75 due to a cardiac arrest. Following his death, Dutta faced heavy criticism for her remarks about the late actor, including questioning why she should be expected to forgive someone who never acknowledged or apologized for his alleged misconduct.
Addressing the controversy, Mohapatra emphasized that while the dead deserve dignity, the living do as well. She noted that mourning an artist's passing is acceptable, but demanding that a woman who spoke out about her trauma simply stay quiet is entirely different. She highlighted the exhausting legal and professional battles Dutta faced after initially coming forward with allegations of sexual harassment on a film set.
The singer also took aim at individuals attempting to invalidate Dutta's claims by pointing to Patekar's past philanthropic work and charitable contributions to farmers and the underprivileged. Mohapatra argued that charity does not cancel out personal misconduct, and she expressed concern over critics questioning why only one woman spoke up.
Concluding her message, Mohapatra stated that genuine compassion cannot require the humiliation of a survivor. She maintained that Dutta is entirely entitled to her own account of events and that death should not be used to rewrite history or silence uncomfortable truths.