Nana Patekar’s Last Film Shakti Shalini Will Be a Tribute

Aditya Sarpotdar never imagined that Shakti Shalini would become Nana Patekar’s last film. Now he is determined to make the upcoming horror-comedy a fitting tribute.

A goodbye no one expected

Patekar died early on Thursday after a heart attack in Goa, at the age of 75. He had completed his work on Shakti Shalini back in May. Speaking to PTI from Berlin, Sarpotdar said the actor called him about ten days before his death to ask about post-production and was looking forward to seeing the film.

“I never expected that ‘Shakti Shalini’ will be his last film,” Sarpotdar said. “It (film) is going to be a tribute to one of the best actors of our cinema.”

How the film finally happened

Sarpotdar had earlier approached Patekar twice for Marathi films, but those scripts did not excite him. The breakthrough came when the director narrated Shakti Shalini at Patekar’s farmhouse in Pune.

“He liked the story, his role, Aneet’s role and the world that we were creating,” Sarpotdar said. “He was excited about ‘Shakti Shalini’.” The two spent a few days jamming on the script, and Patekar was drawn to the collaborative process.

• Finished shooting: May, before his death on Thursday.
• Final check-in: About ten days before he passed away.
• Expected release: March 2027, under Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films.
• Other final performances: Eetha in December 2026 and The Confession of Mary.

A perfectionist with a five-minute fuse

Patekar’s outspoken nature was part of his legend. Sarpotdar admitted the actor yelled at him on set, always “haq se” — with complete sincerity. But the storm never lasted.

“Within five minutes he would come back, either pat me on the back, feed me something or hug me,” the director said. Patekar was, in Sarpotdar’s words, a “power house of a talent” who stayed curious about VFX, young actors and technicians.

Why it matters to fans

Shakti Shalini is the next title in Maddock Films’ horror-comedy universe, the franchise that gave audiences Stree and Munjya. Sarpotdar says Patekar was aware of that world and had only good things to say about those films. His absence now turns the film into a celebration, not just another release.

For viewers, the practical note is to mark the calendar. Eetha arrives in December 2026, Shakti Shalini follows in March 2027, and The Confession of Mary is also on the way. These are the final big-screen chances to see Patekar.

Source: The Times of India