Cinematographer Pratik Shah, best known for his work in Jubilee, CTRL and Homebound, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, has deactivated his Instagram account after being accused of abuse by a member of the Hindi film industry.

Independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh took to Instagram on Friday to share a cautionary note for his followers, referring to Pratik as “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive”. In his first story, Abhinav urged his female friends to be cautious of the cinematographer and invited them to contact him via direct message for further information.

Within hours, Abhinav followed up with another story, naming Shah publicly. “The number of women who’ve reached out to me is honestly frightening. I feel like I’m having a Margot Robbie moment from Bombshell. I will not be silenced. And to those who are still employing him – f**k you. His name is Pratik Shah. He’s a cinematographer,” he wrote.

In a subsequent post, Abhinav added that he had been approached by several women who had similar experiences. “I’ve spoken out, and now I’m hearing from others — people who’ve felt silenced or sidelined. It’s heartbreaking. The patterns are undeniable. Many have called him a predator.”

Since the allegations surfaced on social media, Pratik Shah appears to have deactivated his Instagram account. A search for his profile now leads to a blank page.

By the time this article was published, Shah had not issued a statement addressing the accusations. He is yet to respond to questions from the media.

According to a report by The Hollywood Reporter India, this is not the first time Shah has faced such allegations. Four years ago, a young cinematographer had filed a complaint with the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective (IWCC), accusing him of soliciting a nude photograph. At the time, he reportedly apologised and was issued a warning.