Mahesh Manjrekar Remembers Nana Patekar: ‘He Breathed Cinema’

Nana Patekar, the actor who made discomfort feel magnetic, died on October 8. Mahesh Manjrekar’s tribute is not a filmography lesson; it is a portrait of a mercurial friend who, in his words, “breathed cinema.”

A theatre fanboy’s first hero

Manjrekar goes back to the end of 1984, when Patekar was already a stage idol after playing Gulabrao in Purush. The actor had a quality that gave hope to every ordinary-looking theatre kid: presence. Training with Arvind Deshpande and Vijayabai Mehta polished the raw goods, but Manjrekar insists nobody can create an actor who lacks them.

The friendship took root on the set of Andha Yudh, when Patekar invited his theatre friends to watch him act opposite Raj Babbar. A crew member tried to shoo them away. Patekar stopped him. “They’re my guests,” Manjrekar remembers him saying. “Don’t ever talk to them badly.” That protective streak stayed.

Natasamrat, the film nobody trusted

Manjrekar’s plan to adapt Natasamrat kept returning to one belief: only Nana Patekar could justify the Marathi classic on screen. He had announced it before writing a word, which made the waiting worse. The industry predicted fireworks between two headstrong men.

Instead, the film was completed in 35–40 days. The reason, Manjrekar says, is that Nana was like a child. You humour him, play along, and then do exactly what the scene needs.

• Don’t take the bait. When Nana snapped at a lighting delay, Manjrekar pretended to yell at someone on the phone and called for a pack-up. Nana backed off and was ready an hour later.
• Aim the shouting at the ensemble. To get a louder take in the “To be or not to be” sequence, Manjrekar scolded the supporting actors. Nana got the message and delivered.
• Let the actor be right. Nana had suggested Medha Manjrekar for the female lead on day one. When Reema Lagoo stepped back, Medha took the role—and Nana got to say “I told you so.”

Even after Medha’s cancer recovery, Nana called every ten days to ask after her health and called her “Sarkar.” That warmth, not the temper, is what Manjrekar keeps returning to.

The projects that didn’t happen

After Natasamrat, Patekar wanted to make Sakharam Binder with Manjrekar. Manjrekar held back: the play’s shock value felt tied to another time. He told Nana, only half-jokingly, that he would assist if Nana directed it himself. The two also circled other stories, but nothing fully clicked.

Nana kept pushing Manjrekar to act more, once calling to praise a Dabangg scene in which Manjrekar jumped from a tank into the water. When Manjrekar wanted Nana for Juna Furniture and Nana wasn’t keen, Manjrekar stepped into the role himself.

A goodbye that still doesn’t feel real

Manjrekar learned the news in London, hours after seeing a reel of Patekar talking about a book. The speed of it made him break down. He remembers a man who gave warm embraces, who remained close to his former wife Neelakanti, and whose son Malhar called him “Saaheb.”

For an artist who intimidated many, Nana Patekar was also, Manjrekar says, “one of the best guys to be with—both as an actor and, most importantly, as a human being.”

Source: Filmfare