Nana Patekar’s last screen appearance will be in the horror comedy ‘Shakti Shalini’, and director Aditya Sarpotdar now remembers the actor with deep sadness. The veteran star, who died on Thursday morning in Goa at the age of 75, had already finished shooting his part. Even so, he wanted to watch the final cut and do more dubbing, but the director never got the chance to show him the film.
Aditya Sarpotdar recalls Nana Patekar cooking mutton for the crew
Some of Aditya Sarpotdar’s warmest memories of the actor have nothing to do with acting. One comes from a tiring schedule in Rajasthan, where temperatures touched 48 to 49 degrees. Nana finished his work around lunchtime that day and, instead of resting, chose to treat the crew. Speaking to India Today, the director said, “Yes, he did. I remember this picture of him. We were shooting in Rajasthan, and it was extremely hot out there. We were shooting in May in Chambal. So the temperature would go to around 48, 49 degrees, that high.”He continued, “And that day he had wrapped up early because we finished his work around lunchtime. And he said, ‘Okay, now the fact that you wrapped me up early, I’m going to give you all a treat.’”What followed was classic Nana Patekar, as the director remembers it.Aditya Sarpotdar added, “So he didn’t know what he was up to. He goes back to the hotel, and this hotel was like, like, an open property, a spread-out property. So he arranges for this massive big, like a patila, and then he cooks mutton out sitting in the open.”Feeding people was clearly a joy for the actor.“But the fact that he loved to feed people, you know. And he was a fantastic cook. He used to say that I’m a better cook than an actor. But he was a brilliant cook, you know. And he used to love, and this is not only one instance, throughout our shoot, he’s done this multiple times,” the director said.
Nana Patekar’s last film and the one thing he never saw
The shoot of ‘Shakti Shalini’ had already ended, but Nana was not done with it. He wished to return for extra dubbing and was eager to see the final edit. Sarpotdar said, “No, we had wrapped the shoot; it’s just that he was a perfectionist, so he wanted to do more. My only regret is that I couldn’t show him the complete film and that this would remain his last work. But that’s life, and I am sure his blessings will be with the team.”These words give the film a special place in the actor’s career. Though he had shot his part, he never watched it in finished form. What was meant to be one more project in a journey of over five decades has become his final appearance on screen.
What happened to Nana Patekar, and what is ‘Shakti Shalini’ about
Nana Patekar was found unresponsive at his Goa home after suffering severe chest pain. He was rushed to Manipal Hospital, where doctors tried to revive him but could not save him. A post-mortem will take place before the body is handed over to the family. As per his last wish, he will be cremated at his Pune farmhouse, and the Maharashtra government has announced a state funeral with full honours.‘Shakti Shalini’ is a horror comedy about Shakti, an ordinary woman who becomes a protector, and Shalini, a vengeful spirit who returns to punish men after being brutally betrayed and killed. The film stars Aneet Padda and Vishal Jethwa.
