Showbiz Will Miss The Sound Of Nana Patekar's Irritation

Never a crowd pleaser in the conventional sense, Nana Patekar's knack for not mincing words, if anything his brusque, take it-or-leave it persona -- which made his eccentricity a guilty pleasure of sorts -- contributed to his eminence, observes Sukanya Verma. IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Raju Ban Gaya Gentlemen . Key Points Nana Patekar is celebrated for his intense, rhetorical performances, often delivering powerful dialogues that resonated with audiences. His versatility is evident in his his portrayal of complex villains in films like Parinda and Agnisakshi , as well as his memorable comedic roles in the Welcome series. Patekar's ability to convey emotion through silence, as seen in Ankush and Ab Tak Chhappan , highlights the depth of his acting prowess. His voice outraces his face. As an actor whose volume of work is as voluble as his oratory prowess, Nana Patekar’s intense rhetoric held the viewer’s rapt attention whether sizing up a corrupt neta or scoffing at society’s apathetic ways. Perhaps the only time, audience didn’t mind a scolding was when Nana held a mirror before them over angry ‘ saala ek machhar ’ analogies or broke a pair of Hindu-Muslim fingers to prove blood doesn’t discriminate over a lecture on secularism. Dialogues poured freely through him as if speaking dil se and not by design. In a chat with his Parinda and Welcome co-star Anil Kapoor, Nana had once shared his process, how he relentlessly revises and remembers his lines till they are completely internalised. Truth be told, I did not sense the labour in his craft, only the love. And therein lies the magic. The Power of Intensity and Villainy IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Parinda . Hand on waist, eyes on fire, he blasted off left, right and centre before a world that’s in desperate need of intervention. Ironically, the only thing that rivalled his idealism is his villainy. As the complex face of evil, he almost had one fooled with his smooth operator Baba in Salaam Bombay , and brought restraint to his ruthless ambitions as Majid, the builder with underworld origins in Angaar willing to bump off his family if need be. He painted Parinda’s fire-fearing, psychopathic gangster Anna ordering death as calmly as life in the darkest shades of hostility and hysteria and demonstrated the red flag traits of the obsessive, abusive, toxic spouse Vishwanath in Agnisakshi . Don't Miss: Ankush to Natsamrat , Nana Patekar's Unforgettable Roles IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy . But his silences spoke as eloquently as his anger. The simmering rage of disillusioned youth in Ankush , a scene-stealing close-up as Gandhi’s killer in the BBC-produced Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy , the straightforward justice of Prahaar’s army man taking down civilian menace, the physically-impaired, emotionally-strained father embracing reconciliation in Khamoshi: The Musical , the actions-speak-louder-than-words cop on an encounter rampage in Ab Tak Chhappan , the calm, calculated advisor advancing dynastic politics in Rajneeti, Nana proved he didn’t always need a monologue to assert his presence. From Comedy to Cultural Impact IMAGE: Nana Patekar with Raaj Kumar in Tirangaa . Refusing to be pigeonholed in a serious avatar, Nana’s comic antics, too, hit all the right notes. Though Tirangaa and Krantiveer belong to the action masala genre, his drunken dance off with Raaj Kumar on Pee Le Pee Le O More Raja and disco floor shenanigans next to Bindu in Love Rap are pure droll. It is his chalk and cheese chemistry with Rishi Kapoor as step brothers forced to coexist in Hum Dono and ‘Control Uday, control’ ardour as goofy mafia man Uday Anna in the Welcome movies endeared him to us his funnyman side for good. IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Krantiveer . If mimicry and parody count as flattery, comical tributes to the actor’s humorous dialogue delivery in Oggy and the Cockroaches and Golmaal Again are telling of his impact on popular culture. It was Nana, not Shah Rukh Khan’s belief that if the person you love, loves you back, they will stop and turn around to give you an approving look in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman until Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’s palat predictions went on to achieve iconic fame. His slice-of-life philosophy underscoring everyman aspirations as the street-smart sutradhar of Aziz Mirza’s gentle drama revealed a happily-ever-after-rooting romantic. These softer facets are most gloriously realised in Amol Palekar’s lyrical, idyllic Thodasa Roomani Ho Jaayen where Nana’s imaginatively named character Dhrushtadyumna Padmanabh Prajapati Neelkanth Dhumketu Baarishkar introduces himself as ‘ Main dilon mein rehta hoon, umeedon mein basta hoon, sapno mein jeeta hoon aur gham peeta hoon .’ Authenticity and Enduring Legacy IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Welcome . Individuals hailing from a modest background, who’ve known life from close quarters possess a certain realism that cannot be manufactured. Nana’s authenticity was his greatest trump card in an industry fixated on looks. By his own admission, he was rather insecure about his appearance even while he was a kid. But as he gained experience, he realised his work speaks for itself. Growing up on traditional tamasha brand of entertainment and bolstered by his theatre roots, candour came easily to Nana’s school of acting benefiting his style of soliloquy in some of his most successful films, including ones in his native tongue like Deool and Natsamrat . It was at Smita Patil’s, his colleague from Marathi theatre days, insistence he took on films. IMAGE: Nana Patekar in Ankush . Making his first ever appearance as a brash good-for-nothing wanting to live off his sister in Muzaffar Ali’s Gaman , Nana doesn’t have much to do but one can still catch a glimpse of the rough, rude, sceptical disposition that would shape his superstar. Never a crowd pleaser in the conventional sense, his knack for not mincing words, if anything his brusque, take it-or-leave it persona -- which made his eccentricity a guilty pleasure of sorts -- contributed to his eminence. It’s a rich legacy that comes with its baggage of controversies like a difficult-to-work reputation, episodes of physical fights with filmmakers, alleged romances with heroines or ideological clashes with politicians. But none came close to casting a dent in his credibility up until his name cropped in the #MeToo movement following Horn Ok Pleassss co-star Tanushree Dutta’s accusations of sexual harassment though he denied it and courts dismissed it. Khao, khujao, batti bujhao , summed up his streetside stand-up comic in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman . Showbiz will miss the sound of Nana Patekar’s irritation and ire. Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff