Nana Patekar is a one-of-a-kind actor/human being, immensely talented and unique in everything—approach, thought process, execution, and behavior—you can’t find a match for that. He stood out and alone. He always left us amused, confused, and very often in awe of him.
Farmers will not see good days unless their produce gets a guaranteed price. Even a notebook, a pen, or a soap has a price printed on it, but the milk that farmers sell do not have any price.
Nana Patekar
Early Life
Nana Patekar was born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Murud-Janjira, Bombay, into a middle-class Marathi family. His father, Gajanan Patekar, was a textile businessman, and his mother, Nirmala Patekar, was a homemaker. Patekar attended Samarth Vidyalaya in Dadar West, Mumbai, and later studied at the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, where he earned a diploma in commercial arts.
From his debut with Muzaffar Ali’s Gaman in 1978, Nana has done quite a few hats: as an actor, screenwriter, and filmmaker, and before that, a painter, a calligrapher, and also an Indian Territorial Army officer.
Debut
Following his Hindi film debut, he made his Marathi film debut with Jabbar Patel’s 1979 film “Sinhasan.” Nana starred in Mira Nair’s Academy Award-nominated “Salaam Bombay” in 1988 and won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the crime drama “Parinda (1989).”
Some of his other notable films in this period include Aaj Ki Awaaz (1984), Giddh (1984), Ankush (1986), Andha Yudh (1987), Pratighaat (1987), Awam (1987), Trishagni (1988), Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen (1990), and Disha (1990).
He debuted as a director with “Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991),” where she scolded Madhuri Dixit for wearing makeup, and an amused Madhuri had to wash her face.
The 1990s was his decade, where he received critical acclaim for his performance in several commercially successful films, including Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992); Angaar (1992), for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain; Tirangaa (1993); and Krantiveer (1994), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Further acclaim came his way for Agni Sakshi (1996), for which he won his second National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Khamoshi: The Musical (1996),” where he played the role of Joseph Braganza, a deaf father to Manisha Koirala.
Ab Actor With a Difference
Some of his other memorable films of the 1990s are Hum Dono (1995), Ghulam-E-Mustafa (1997), Yeshwant (1997), Yugpurush (1998), Wajood (1998), Hu Tu Tu (1999), Kohram (1999), and Gang (2000). In 2002, he again played a chilling negative role in “Shakti: The Power.”
Patekar’s intense portrayal of Sadhu Agashe, an encounter specialist in “Ab Tak Chhappan (2004),” earned him critical acclaim and established the film as a cult classic.
He continued to act and mesmerize the audience with his roles in films like Vadh, Bhoot, Darna Mana Hai, Aanch, Bluffmaster!, Taxi No. 9211, Dus Kahaniyaan, Yatra, and Chris Smith’s American film The Pool, which won the Special Jury Prize at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival.
Nana teams up with Praksha Jha in Apaharan (2005), which fetched him another Filmfare Award for Best Villain, and Jha’s modern-day adaptation of Mahabharata, the political thriller Raajneeti (2010). Nanna gave another superb performance in a role based on Krishna.
Patekar garnered widespread praise for his comical portrayal of the benevolent gangster Uday Bhai in the comedy Welcome (2007) and its sequel, Welcome Back (2015). His comedic timing and unique dialogue delivery made the character iconic.
Later Career and Legacy
In 2016, Patekar portrayed Ganpat Ramchandra Belwalkar, a retired stage actor, in the critically and commercially successful Marathi film “Natsamrat.” He got widespread praise for his performance espacially his emotional depth. He also get Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Marathi) for the film.
With a career spanning over four decades, Patekar has received numerous accolades, including three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards from 11 nominations, and two Filmfare Awards Marathi. He was also given the Padma Shri in 2013 by the Government of India.
Nana, along with Irrfan Khan, is the only actor ever to win the Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Villain categories.
Nana Patekar married Neelkanti Patekar, a former bank officer, actress, and producer. The couple had a son named Malhar Patekar.
Nana is also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly his work with the Naam Foundation. He co-founded the Naam doundation with fellow Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure to provide aid to farmers affected by drought in Maharashtra.
Nana Patekar on IMDB
