Veteran actor Raza Murad spoke to us over a call, telling us how most people were unaware that Nana Patekar studied at the Sir J.J. School of Art and was a very good painter who would draw portraits. Murad describes him as a very soft-hearted man with a transparent smile, who was also brutally honest, being blunt to the extent of being hurtful, which is also how we identify him. Murad also highlighted how Nana was heavily involved in charity work, including helping villages affected by all sorts of calamities.
“He used to speak his mind without bothering about the repercussions. He was a fearless man without any complexes and would not blow his own trumpet. Heavily involved in charity work, he would give 90% of his remuneration for it and used to adopt villages and help out during all sorts of calamities. He could have purchased a bungalow or built a mansion, but he never did that. It was not important to him. So, there would never be another Nana Patekar, who was a lion-hearted performer in front of the camera as well as a lion-hearted person behind the camera who would do anything for the poor and downtrodden for their upliftment."
"We were part of a film called Apni Adalat (1989), which never got released. He used to observe other people while working, whether they were involved in their work or not, and used to get angry too, not hesitating to pull anybody down or take them to task. He was a sincere man and he used to expect the same from everyone, from each unit member. Many political parties were very keen to take him in, as they would have greatly benefited if he had joined them, since he had a tremendous mass following. He would have turned the tables easily and also won an election independently. But he was least interested in politics, and that was not his cup of tea either. Nana would also openly criticise some very influential politicians,” Murad shared with us.
