Nana Patekar was born as ‘Vishwanath Patekar’ on Monday, 1 January 1951 (age 68 years; as in 2019) in the Murud-Janjira, Bombay State (now Maharashtra). His zodiac sign is Capricorn. He did his schooling from Samarth Vidyalaya, Dadar West, Mumbai. Thereafter, he attended Bandra School of Arts (now L.S. Raheja School of Art) in Mumbai. He did a Commercial Arts Diploma from Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai.
Nana Patekar’s father, Gajanan Patekar was a textile businessman and his mother, Nirmala Patekar was a homemaker.
Nana Patekar With His Mother
His parents had seven children; 5 of them passed away. Two of his brothers’ names are Ashok and Dilip Patekar. Nana got married to Neelkanti Patekar (a former bank officer, actress, and producer) in 1978.
Nana Patekar With Neelkanti
Nana got separated from his wife Neelkanti and then, came into a relationship with the actress Manisha Koirala.
Nana Patekar With Manisha Koirala
He then came into a relationship with the actress, Ayesha Jhulka.
Nana Patekar With Ayesha Jhulka
He has a son named Malhar Patekar. He also had one more son, who died when he was 2 years old.
Nana Patekar With His Son Malhar Patekar
Career
He started his career as a commercial artist and visualizer at Strusa Advertising. He later quit his job to do theatres. He made his acting debut with the Bollywood film “Gaman (1978).”
He made his Marathi film debut with the movie “Sinhasan” in 1979.
He made his directorial debut with the movie “Prahaar: The Final Attack” in 1991.
He made his debut as a producer with the 2016 movie “Natsamrat.”
He has even done playback singing in the films Yeshwant (1997), Wajood (1998) and Aanch (2003).
Controversies
In 2008, during the shooting of “Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss,” Tanushree Dutta alleged that Nana Patekar had sexually harassed her. After ten years, in 2018, she brought up the matter again during the MeeToo Movement in India and filed an FIR against Nana Patekar on 6 October 2018.
In 2014, he slammed the extension of parole to Sanjay Dutt, who had been convicted by Supreme Court for illegal possession of arms in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blast. He further vowed to never work with him again.
After the Uri attack in 2016, Nana, while supporting the ban on Pakistani artistes stated,
I don’t know anything else other than my country. An artiste is very small in front of a country. As artistes, we don’t have value when it comes to country. I was in the army and have spent two and half years there. I know who are our biggest heroes. No one can be a bigger hero than our jawans. Our jawans are our real heroes. We actors are trivial and insignificant. Please don’t pay attention to what we say.”
Best Supporting Actor for the film “Parinda” in 1990
Nana Patekar Receiving Filmfare Award
Best Actor for the film “Krantiveer” in 1995
Best Supporting Actor for the film “Agni Sakshi” in 1997
Filmfare Awards
Best Supporting Actor for the film “Parinda” in 1990
Nana Patekar With His Filmfare Award
Best Villian for the film “Angaar” in 1992
Best Actor for the film “Krantiveer” in 1995
Best Villian for the film “Apaharan” in 2006
Favourite Things
Food: Mutton Dishes, Malai Kebab, Prawns, Konkani Style Fish Curry, Goan Fish Curry
Restaurant: April Rain in Pune
Actresses: Madhuri Dixit, Smita Patil
Singers: Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar
Song: ‘Itni Shakti Hume De Na Daata’ from the film Ankush (1986)
Facts
He likes to write, do rifle shooting, trek, travel, and cook.
When he was in the seventh standard, he was very naughty. Because of this, he was sent to his mother’s sister home in Mumbai. A year later, his aunt packed his bags and sent him back to Murud because her children were getting spoiled under Nana’s influence.
His father loved watching plays, dramas, and Tamasha (a folk form of the Marathi theatre). So Nana used to travel from Mumbai to Murud and participate in the plays to seek his father’s attention.
He started acting since the age of 5 and has worked for a long time in the Marathi theatres, performing in various award-winning plays including Hamidabaichi Kothi and Purush before moving to Marathi films and television.
When Nana was in ninth standard, his father was duped and lost his business, so, Nana had to start working to earn a living. He met a man named G S Tiwari, who gave him a job to paint movie posters. He got, Rs.35 a month and a meal per day as the payment for doing the job.
Nana joined a theatre group called, Avishkar, which was run by Sulbah and Aarvind Deshpande. He won his first price while doing a play with them.
He credits Smita Patil for his entry into Bollywood. Smita knew him from Pune, and she was the one to introduce him to Ravi Chopra. Talking about Smita, he says,
Smita Patil was the reason I got into films. She kept telling me to get into films but I said I was happy doing theatre, I don’t like films. Today, when I look back, I don’t think I disliked films. Maybe I thought who would take me in films? I think it was a complex.”
Nana Patekar With Smita Patil
When Nana was 28 years old, he lost his father, and within two-and-a-half years of that, he lost his first son.
In an Interview, Nana revealed that he had faced discrimination during his initial days in Bollywood for not being handsome. In addition to that, he said,
Main janta hoon ki main khubsoorat nahin hoon (I know I’m not beautiful). But I wanted to make my performances beautiful. They should talk for you. Always let your work talk for yourself. No matter how much you give interviews, or how much you are written about. it is always the performance which counts.”
He used to criticise the Filmfare Award jury for its award management, until, he won the award for the Best Actor for the film “Krantiveer” in 1995. In his award acceptance speech, he cried and said,
I know I don’t look like an actor. I have the appearance of a labourer, yet I have received this award today. I am happy that today I am one of you. Until now, I used to feel a Filmfare Award could be bought. Now that I’ve received one, I know they can’t be bought. Everyone thinks the same. If you don’t win it, you end up saying they must have bought it. What can we do? After all, we’re only human…”
He got involved with the ‘Citizen of Peace Movement’ during the 1992 Bombay riots, in spite of having close links to Shiv Sena (right-wing pro-Marathi and Hindu nationalist party active mainly in the state of Maharashtra).
Nana admits that Bal Thackrey (politician and founder of Shiv Sena) was very close to him and had asked him to stand for elections on his party’s ticket. However, he denies his association with any political party.
Nana Patekar With Bal Thackrey
To perfect his role for “Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991),” he underwent strict army training for three years. In the early 90s, he was given the honorary rank of captain. He even served the Indian Army, including a stint in the Kargil War (3 May-26 July 1999).
His son Malhar played the role of young Nana Patekar in the movie “Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991).”
Nana, in an interview, revealed that he celebrates his son’s birthday in an orphanage.
He met his wife, Neelkanti while working in theatres. She and Nana have acted together in many plays. Her debut movie as an actress was “Atmavishwas (1989).”
He counts himself as a modest citizen of India and justifies it by living in a 1 BHK apartment with his mother. He believes in living in simplicity and says,
I have not increased my needs at all. My needs are the same. If you come to my house, you will be shocked. My house is 750 sq ft., we had brought it for ‘Rs.1.1 Lakh, but even today I stay there only.”
Even after becoming a famous actor, he used to hang out with his friends in Mahim Bar and consumed alcohol until he reached the point of unconsciousness.
Being an atheist, he still celebrates Ganesh Chaturthi, only because his father used to celebrate it and after his father’s death, his mother insisted on carrying forward the same.
Nana once revealed that he was a chain smoker. Talking about his smoking habits, he said,
I used to smoke 60 cigarettes per day till I was 56. But then I just threw it and left it.”
During the filming of the last scene of the film, “Parinda,” Nana got burned and was not able to work for almost a year. After a year, when they re-did the scene, Nana got into a fight with the director of the film, Vidhu Vinod Chopra as the incident still wandered in his head and he didn’t want Vidhu to use the rubber solution that caused him to get burned earlier. The fight between Nana and Vidhu turned into a fist-fight.
In 2015, Nana started a non-governmental organisation called ‘Naam Foundation’ along with Makarand Anaspure. The organisation works to aid the farmers in drought-prone areas, Vidarbha and Marathwada in Maharashtra. In 2015, he distributed cheques of Rs. 15,000, to the families of farmers in the Vidarbha region, Latur, and Osmanda.
Nana Patekar’s Naam Foundation
He is very popular for his quintessential laughter and dialogue delivery.
He loves cooking and can cook for 150 people at a time. He even has a signature dish called “Nana Prawns.” Taking about his food, Nana says,
Cooking is my passion. I am a better cook than actor. Cooking is like doing yoga. There is a lot of satisfaction in cooking food for others.”
Nana Patekar Cooking
He says that he has learned cooking and acting from his mother.
Apart from films, Naseeruddin Shah and Nana have worked together in theatres too.
Nana Patekar with Naseeruddin Shah
He did his first commercial for ‘Vikram Tea’ in 2017, almost after 40 years of his acting debut.
He is the only actor to win the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, and Best Villian.
He, in the TV show, “Aap Ki Adalat” said that he is in a one-sided love with Madhuri Dixit and recited a long poem for her from the film, “Wajood (1998).”
