The reported relationship between Nana Patekar and Manisha Koirala has often been discussed over the years, particularly in connection with their work together in the 1996 psychological thriller ‘Agni Sakshi’. Now, screenwriter, novelist, actor and filmmaker Ranbir Pushp has addressed the speculation surrounding the two actors and recalled the equation he witnessed while working on the film.Ranbir Pushp acknowledged that Nana and Manisha shared a close bond on the sets of ‘Agni Sakshi’, though he stopped short of defining it as a romantic relationship.Ranbir said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan,, “Haan yeh hua hai, ab isko romance kahe ya dosti, that God knows. But dono kareeb the. Aapas mein understanding thi. Scenes discuss karke karte the aur performance screen pe nazar aati thi. (Yes, this did happen. Now whether you call it romance or friendship, only God knows. But the two were close. There was understanding between them. They would discuss the scenes before performing, and that showed on screen.)”When the host asked him, “Dosti gehri thi? (Was the friendship deep?)”, Ranbir replied, “Bilkul thi (Absolutely).”The conversation then turned to whether Ranbir, given his understanding of people and his experience as a writer, ever sensed that the chemistry between Nana and Manisha went beyond friendship.Ranbir said, “Nahi, kabhi nahi. Main ne uss tareeqe se kabhi socha nahi. Dosti aur understanding thi. Aur scenes discuss karte the. Isse zyaada khayal bhi nahi aaya mujhe kabhi. Baad mein sunne mein aayi, papers mein yeh baatein aayi, padhne ko bhi mila, par main ne kabhi observe nahi kiya.(No, never. I never thought of it that way. There was friendship and understanding. They would discuss the scenes together. Beyond that, the thought never even crossed my mind. Later I heard about it, these things came up in the papers, I even read them, but I never observed it myself.)”He further explained that he was largely occupied with his own work and did not pay close attention to the actors’ personal equation. “Zyaada mera kaam se matlab hota tha. Mera scene diya, chala gaya, aa gaya. Thodi der rukey, shooting dekhi. (Mostly, I was focused on my work. I would give my scene, leave, and then come back. I stayed for a little while, watched the shooting.)”Directed by Partho Ghosh, ‘Agni Sakshi’ was released in 1996 and starred Jackie Shroff, Manisha Koirala and Nana Patekar in pivotal roles.
