This morning, as soon as I switched on the TV, I was greeted by the sad news that Nana Patekar is no more.
Nana was not just an actor or a star for me. I used to argue with him, fight with him, get my point across and many times he also used to listen to me like an elder brother.
After someone passes away, the entire film of memories related to his life starts playing before our eyes.
The news of Nana's departure is also like the end of a long journey for me.
I still remember that day. I had gone to meet my maternal grandfather at the house of Vasant Dada Poddar, a well-known scholar and theater artist of Indore. Some children were playing cricket at Martand Chowk. Nana suddenly went there and started playing cricket. I also joined. At that time I was probably in higher secondary or in the first year of college. Nana was not as big a name then as he is today. Looking back today, I feel that that day I was not involved in an ordinary but an important incident.
After years I came to Mumbai. Called Nana on his landline and expressed his desire to meet. In those days, he lived above his in-laws' restaurant in Lokhandwala. After the formal conversation, Nana asked, "Would you like tea?" I nodded yes. He said, "Make it for me too." I was shocked for a few moments. But within a few hours a relationship began that would last a lifetime.
I started journalism with a media organization. I kept meeting my grandfather. Sometimes in connection with a film interview, sometimes somewhere else. I used to go to his Ganpati almost every year. Nana used to celebrate Ganpati with great devotion and heart. As long as Ganpati stayed in his house, it was almost impossible to remove him from there.
In those days his film 'Kamal Dhamaal Malamaal' was about to be released. This was Priyadarshan's film. Artists like Om Puri, Paresh Rawal and Shreyas Talpade were also in it. The interview was scheduled during Ganpati. It was difficult for Nana to go from Matunga to Jogeshwari. He got stuck in traffic and was very angry when he arrived late. Started scolding the production team. Meanwhile, a member of the publicity team came to me and said that you should talk, otherwise the interview would not be possible. I also gathered courage and went to him and said, "Nana, this is my interview." Then he calmed down a bit and said, "I don't know, which Taj Mahal is this that has called me so far?" The interview went very well. While leaving he said, "Tongya, tujha hota mebhi jhala." That means it was for you, that's why it happened.
The relationship became deeper with time. Vasant Utsav used to be held in Nana's Khadakwasla farmhouse. I used to go there also. Once Nana introduced me to a boy and said that he sings very well. He is the grandson of late classical singer Vasantrao Deshpande. That boy sang very well. The same boy later became the famous singer Pandit Rahul Deshpande. Nana always stood as a strong support for new and talented artists.
In the year 2007, I was working in another media organization. One day Nana called, "What are you doing?" I said, "I am in the office." He said, "Come home." I took the car and left towards Matunga. When Nana's son Malhar was called, he came to know that Baba was at his house or farmhouse in Pune. I called Nana. He again said, "Come." I said that I can't come that far during office hours, I can bring my camera. We reached the farmhouse with the entire unit. Nana was working in the fields. Like Dada Kondke, he was wearing half pants and a Nehru cap. I asked, "Why did you call?" He said, "These are two bulls and we both. Come, let us do farming together." I laughed. I said, "Even my father has not plowed." After this, a memorable interview took place while sitting on a swing. Nana prepared brinjal curry from his farm and we sat together and ate it.
While leaving, Nana took me to a corner of the field and asked me to bury him there or perform the last rites after his departure. That should be their final destination. I said, "Don't talk like that, there's still a lot of time." He said, "It is death that always remains with us. There is no use in forgetting it." I returned to Mumbai. After some time, that thing got buried somewhere in my memories.
The friendship between Nana and Ashok Saraf was also an example in itself. Both were friends since theater days. In those days, Nana used to get Rs 50 for a show and Ashok Saraf got Rs 250. Nana used to jokingly give five rupees to Ashok Saraf. Ashok knew that Nana needed money. Once during the days of Ganpati, Nana did not have money. Ashok reached him early in the morning and gave him a blank check and said that there are 15 thousand rupees in the account, withdraw as much as you want. After years, Nana returned three thousand rupees. Ashok Saraf jokingly said, "Patekar, now you have become rich." Nana said, "I am old enough to return the money, but I will not be able to return the time." Their friendship lasted till their last days. Whenever Ashok and Nana met, Nana used to press his feet.
Once Nana called a producer and asked him to send people to listen to a very good script. Nana said to come to the farmhouse in Pune at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. I had specifically told that producer that Nana is very strict about time, arriving on time. But due to traffic and other reasons the team reached at 4.45 pm. Nana was standing outside. He said angrily that he will not work with people who do not respect time. He asked them to go back. Didn't even ask for water. The producer complained to me. I told Nana that I had already told him about the time. Nana said that he had prepared food for everyone, he kept waiting, he himself remained hungry and they also spoiled the food. He will not work with such people. Nana felt the pain of the farmers from within. Wastage of food also troubled him equally.
Controversies were also associated with Nana's career. Tanushree Dutta had accused Nana Patekar of physical harassment during the shooting of the film 'Horn Ok Please'. After this allegation, Nana Patekar had to face a lot of controversy and legal problems. Nana consistently denied these allegations. Later the complaint filed in this case was rejected by the court.
Got a chance to see his work closely as a journalist. Nana's acting was never just about speaking dialogues. He had a deep grasp of theater and also a restlessness to live the character in his own way. His different colors were seen in films like 'Parinda', 'Ankush', 'Prahar', 'Krantiveer' and 'Ab Tak Chhappan'. After 'Ab Tak Chhappan', recently in the Marathi film 'Natsamrat', he once again proved that he is a world class actor. In the conversation with him after this film, for the first time it felt that the actor within him is very happy with his work. Perhaps he also felt that he had achieved something through his acting, about which he was internally satisfied.
There was another aspect to understanding Nana as well. His coordination with Mumbai's 'Bambaiya culture' was never smooth. He lived with his own nature, his own language and his own conditions. Yet he remained in this city and the film industry for so long. Perhaps because he made his own place with his work and did not try to fit into any other mold.
Sometimes I wonder how to define Nana? Was he a person who was punctual to a great extent? Or the man who, when he fell in love with someone, would have a lot of fun with her, cook food for friends and the film unit and stand up to help people. Or that Nana, who felt the pain of the farmers from within, who understood the shortage of water and worked wholeheartedly for it. Or that person, who used to do films only if someone liked him, not otherwise. Life made him bitter, but gave him such a heart that people loved him very much. So what was Nana? A great artist or an even better person? Whoever it was, one thing is certain, no one can forget Nana.
