Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS): Actor and BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty mourned the demise of veteran actor Nana Patekar. He remembered him as a close friend and praised his simplicity both on and off screen.
Speaking to IANS, Mithun recalled his regular visits to Nana’s home in Pune and said the two shared a warm friendship. He also remembered the veteran actor as someone who preferred a simple lifestyle despite his stature in the film industry. “He was a very good friend of mine. We used to go to his house. He could not come to meet us. But he was a very good friend of mine,” Mithun said.
Recalling one of his encounters with Nana, he said, “One day, I met him at the airport. He was a very good actor. He was very simple. He used to wear simple clothes. He was a very good actor.”
Mithun Chakraborty and Nana Patekar have worked together in several notable Hindi films, including “Sagar Sangam” and “Yugandhar.”
Nana Patekar, known for his powerful performances and distinctive screen presence, enjoyed a career spanning several decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema. His notable films include “Parinda,” “Krantiveer,” “Agni Sakshi,” “Khamoshi: The Musical,” “Ab Tak Chhappan,” and “Welcome.”
Several members of the Indian film fraternity have expressed their condolences following the veteran actor’s demise. A host of celebs, including Raj Babbar, Anupam Kher, Rohit Shetty, Sanjay Dutt, Akshay Kumar, and Pankaj Tripathi, among others, remembered his contribution to cinema and his impact on generations of performers.
Pankaj told IANS, “Nana ji’s passing is an incredibly painful loss for our entire fraternity; it’s a deeply personal loss for me. I had the privilege of sharing screen space with him in Kaala, and that experience will always remain very special to me. He was not just a co-actor but someone who would guide me on the craft, life choices, and the smallest nuances of acting.”
“I learned a lot just by watching him and listening to him. His guidance meant a great deal to me. For me, this feels like losing a Guru. His absence will always be felt, but his lessons and his extraordinary body of work will continue to inspire me and generations of actors to come,” he added.
