Veteran actor Nana Patekar’s death has brought back several of his past interviews and statements into focus. One such remark is from an event in Nagpur, where he spoke about his decision to play the iconic character of Appasaheb Belwalkar in the 2016 film Natsamrat instead of performing the role in the original stage play.
Nana had expressed his fear of suffering a heart attack if he had taken up the role on stage. He said that actors who had played the lead character in the play had put their entire lives into the performance, and he believed the emotional intensity could have taken a toll on him too.
Nana On Why He Chose The Film Over The Play
Speaking at the Jal Kranti Parishad organised at Reshimbagh, Nana said, “Even if you have to play a role, you have to put your whole life into it while giving your best performance. All the actors who have played the lead role in the play Natsamrat so far died of heart attacks. If I had done the play and immersed myself in the role, I too would have died of a heart attack after 25 shows. That is why, instead of doing the play, I played the role in the film Natsamrat.”
Nana also remembered several acclaimed actors who had portrayed the central character in the stage version of Natsamrat. He specifically spoke about Vikram Gokhale, Dr Shriram Lagoo, Datta Bhat and Chandrakant Gokhale.
He had said, “Vikram Gokhale was an excellent actor, and it is not possible for me to reach his level. In the play Natsamrat, Dr Shriram Lagoo, Datta Bhat and Chandrakant Gokhale all gave excellent performances. There were many shows of these plays. They put their whole life into the role in every performance.”
Nana Patekar’s Natsamrat Connection
Released in 2016, Natsamrat was based on the celebrated Marathi play of the same name written by Kusumagraj (VV Shirwadkar). Nana played Ganpatrao Ramchandra Belwalkar, a legendary theatre actor who is popularly known as ‘Natsamrat’.
The story follows Ganpatrao after his retirement from the stage. Having distributed his wealth among his children, he expects to spend his later years peacefully with his wife Kaveri, played by Medha Manjrekar. However, the couple faces neglect, humiliation and indifference from their own children.
The film explores the journey of a man who was once revered as the king of the stage but eventually finds himself lonely and unwanted in his own home.
Nana’s portrayal of Ganpatrao became one of the most memorable performances of his career.
