Nana regaled city’s drama patrons too

Lucknow: Long before Nana Patekar became known for his powerful dialogues — from “Yeh Musalman ka khoon, yeh Hindu ka khoon…” in Krantiveer in the 1990s to “Control Uday, control” in Welcome — he was a theatre actor.And Lucknow was among the cities that got to experience the actor up close. Nana, who died on Thursday, had a career, of which theatre was an important thread.For Lucknow’s theatre lovers, his legacy is also tied to the stage of Ravindralaya, where the city watched him perform ‘Purush’, the powerful Hindi play in which he played a corrupt politician and sexual predator.Talking to TOI, Lucknow-born theatre director and designer Salim Arif recalled his association with Nana and said his performance in ‘Purush’, which was staged in the city, revealed the extraordinary intensity of an actor who remained “simple and transparent” offstage. The play ran for more than 16 years and clocked around 1,860 shows, bringing together Patekar and actress Ayesha Jhulka. It was directed by celebrated theatre personality Vijaya Mehta.“The production was among the major plays by nationally known actors that came to the city and helped create a renewed appetite for theatre among Lucknow audiences,” said Arif, who worked with Patekar on Gulzar’s ‘Hu Tu Tu’, and said the actor brought value to every role he played.“Just like Rajkumar, Nana too had a distinct style,” he recalled. Patekar, he said, was far removed from the trappings of stardom and would often say that he needed only “200 bucks” to survive and was known for his generosity, even donating a substantial part of his fee to charity. On the sets of ‘Hu Tu Tu’, he would cook prawns and fish and feed the entire unit, Arif recalled. The actor’s simplicity extended to his personal life too, with Arif remembering how Patekar would stay in a modest one-room house during Ganpati celebrations, while his mother would insist that visitors eat before leaving.Veteran Lucknow actor Anil Rastogi, meanwhile, recalled watching Patekar perform on stage in two different productions in Lucknow. “He came to Lucknow twice for the love of theatre. One of his plays was ‘Ek Kunwara Shadi Shuda’, in which he played a servant. Interestingly, he also played a female character. The other play of his that I remember is ‘Purush’,” said Rastogi.Rastogi said he met Patekar during a dinner organised by Uttar Pradesh chief secretary Yogendra Narain. “I told him I was the co-sponsor of one of his plays. He was extremely happy and said, ‘Mera play dekhne wala mila koi.’ He had a great sense of humour,” Rastogi recalled.Theatre artist Shubham Singh Chauhan, who worked with Patekar in the 2022 movie titled ‘The Vaccine war’, said, “Working with Nana Patekar was a truly inspiring experience. His acting, dialogue delivery, pauses and breathing rhythm taught me the depth of a fine performance. Every moment around him was a lesson in the craft. Grateful for the experience and the inspiration.”You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in LucknowStay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Download the TOI App.