Aneet Padda pays tribute as Nana Patekar’s film shifts to 2027

Nana Patekar’s death on Thursday, October 8, at 75 has left Hindi cinema in mourning. Among the tributes, one of the most striking comes from Aneet Padda, the young actor who shares the screen with him in Shakti Shalini — a film that has now become his final bow. Padda’s note is part grief, part gratitude, and it captures a side of the veteran that fans have always respected.

The actor died after a cardiac arrest and was cremated with full state honors at his Donje farmhouse in Pune. For a star who lived away from the glitter of the industry, that farewell felt fitting.

A first meeting that left her speechless

Padda wrote on Instagram that when she first met Nana Patekar, she barely spoke. ‘I think I was just taking it all in,’ she recalled, describing someone ‘so honest, so unfiltered, so unapologetically himself.’ Rather than rehearse a typical co-star memory, she focused on what he showed her simply by being on set.

‘Listening to him speak, watching him work, and simply being around him was a lesson I will always carry with me,’ she added. Padda also pointed out that he chose simplicity over the noise of fame, a decision that stood out to a young actor at the start of her journey. She closed her note with: ‘I’m grateful our paths crossed, even if only for a short while, and I’ll carry it for the rest of my life. Rest in peace, Sir.’

Shakti Shalini becomes his farewell

Director Aditya Sarpotdar admitted he never expected Shakti Shalini to be Nana Patekar’s last film. Speaking to PTI, Sarpotdar said the two had discussed the film’s post-production only 10 days before the actor’s death, and that Patekar was looking forward to watching it. ‘I never thought that he would suddenly step away in this way,’ he said.

The release calendar has moved, too.

• Nana Patekar passed away on Thursday, October 8, at 75 after a cardiac arrest.
• Shakti Shalini, a horror comedy directed by Aditya Sarpotdar and produced by Dinesh Vijan, is now his final film.
• The teaser was released in October 2025, with the team originally eyeing a Christmas 2026 opening.
• The film is now reportedly being moved to the first quarter of 2027, with March 2027 floated in reports, though no official date has been announced.

Why the new date changes the mood

For Hindi film fans, Shakti Shalini has shifted from a festive season release to a cinematic farewell. The delay may be painful, but it gives the makers space to finish a project that will now be received as Nana Patekar’s goodbye to the big screen. That is a different kind of expectation, and it deserves care.

The October 2025 teaser already gives a glimpse of the late actor’s final screen turn. Until an official date is confirmed, that teaser and the tributes from his co-stars are the clearest reminders of what Hindi cinema has lost.

Source: The Times of India