Extraordinary Actor, Intimidating Persona

There is a story about Nana Patekar that few know. When the actor heard that Sanjay Leela Bhansali had cast Ranveer Singh as Bajirao in Bajirao Mastani, he called the filmmaker and berated him. “How could you cast a non-Marathi as Bajirao? Tu aisa nahin kar sakta hai.”

Bhansali had also had a difficult time with Patekar during Khamoshi: The Musical. Yet, beneath his intimidating exterior was an actor of extraordinary dedication. “There was a dinner sequence and the chicken had gone stale. He ate the stale chicken instead of wasting time waiting for fresh food,” Bhansali once recalled.

From bit roles to stardom

Starting with a bit role in Muzaffar Ali’s Gaman, Patekar rose to prominence with N Chandra’s Ankush and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Parinda. Krantiveer (1994) established him as a star. Between 1991 and 1998, he played the lead in several films. But his interference and insistence on hogging footage contributed to disastrous box-office results for Yeshwant, Wajood, Yugpurush and Ghulam-e-Mustafa. It signalled the end of Nana’s career as a leading man.

Patekar directed only one film, Prahaar, and spoke of making another but never got around to it.

Fearless and uncompromising

Fearless on screen and off, Nana spoke openly against Sanjay Dutt over his repeated furloughs. He also stayed away from Bollywood heavyweights such as Yash Chopra and Subhash Ghai. Known to be blunt and pushy, he even had an altercation with the mild-mannered Akshay Kumar during No Entry.

He was equally uncompromising when it came to his son. Nana’s son, Malhar, is an actor, but Nana refused to help him establish a foothold in the film industry.

Fallouts

Patekar was known for his volatile temper and had fallouts with several colleagues, including Amitabh Bachchan during Kohraam and his close friend Prakash Jha during Raajneeti. “I know I get abusive, when I’m angry. This isn’t the first time it has happened. I’ve repeatedly tried to curb my temper. But kya karoon? Main aisa hi hoon. I’ve lost a lot in life because of my nature,” Nana told in an earlier interview.

Speaking about the chain of events that led to the bad blood between him and Jha, “It all started with a song. I had to do some singing for my character. My songs were recorded in Rashid Khan’s voice. When I reached the location, I was told that the songs had been erased by mistake. Prakash said we’d dub it later. But I was neither prepared nor equipped to sing. I argued, but Prakash wasn’t willing to listen. I called him to my van and took off on him. I admit I was very harsh, cruel, and abusive. But he knows how I am. He has accepted me as a friend with all my blemishes.”

Nana continued, “What I’ve done with Jha is very wrong. He was reduced to tears. I’m unable to sleep since then. I’m willing to compensate him for his shooting losses. But I know nothing can compensate for my behaviour.”

A heart of gold

He loved cooking for friends and often insisted on feeding them himself, sometimes with his own hands.

Quick to vent and quicker to repent, Nana Patekar was volatile and fiercely opinionated, but beneath the tough exterior lay an actor of immense dedication and a deeply generous heart.

TRIBUTES POUR IN

Amitabh Bachchan: “He was like no other actor. We worked together in Kohram and that was a pleasant experience. He would ask me why I worked so much, and why didn’t I enjoy rural life. He was a farmer at heart.”

Rajinikanth: “I can’t believe my dear friend Nanaji is no longer with us. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones.”

Manoj Bajpayee: “For so many of us who came to Mumbai hoping to find a place in films, his journey gave us hope. He made you believe that your craft and being true to who you are could be enough to make your own place. We have lost one of our finest actors.”

Akshay Kumar: “He was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance... he was completely his own. I feel fortunate that we got to work together in Welcome, and more recently in Housefull 5.”

Riteish Deshmukh: “I am shocked beyond words. Feels like a truck has hit me. An actor par excellence, incomparable to anyone, he carved his place in people’s hearts with his own unique style and brand of acting. He was a hero off screen too, and worked tirelessly through his charity for the good of the people. I working with him in a Marathi film will forever remain my unfulfilled desire. Truly, the end of an era.”

Sanjay Dutt: “It’s still hard to believe that my brother, my friend Nana is no longer with us. I have so many fond memories of the time we spent together. His passing is a huge loss, not just for those who knew and loved him, but for the entire film industry.”

Rohit Shetty: “Dear Dada, I will miss your late-night calls. No hello and no formalities but a straight. After my release, you were one of my biggest and most honest critics. You never sugar-coated anything. I will never forget when you did a cameo in Golmaal Again. I asked you, ‘Dada, aapki fees?’. And you looked at me and said, ‘Ch****ya, tujhse paise lunga? Ek anathashram ka number deta hoon, wahan donate kar de.’”

Amol Palekar: “We had spoken just a day ago. He called specifically to say, ‘I couldn’t make it to your new play, but I will definitely come to the next performance.’”

Manisha koirala: Deeply saddened by the passing of a great actor, a remarkable presence and a true stalwart of the craft.