Nana Patekar

Vishwanath Patekar (born 1 January 1951), better known as Nana Patekar, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, film maker, and a former Indian Territorial Army officer, mainly working in Hindi and Marathi cinema. He is regarded as one of the finest and influential actors in Indian Cinema, Patekar is recipient of three National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards for his acting performances. He was bestowed with the Padma Shri award in 2013 for his contribution in cinema and arts.

After making his acting debut in Bollywood with the 1978 drama ''Gaman'', Patekar acted in a few Marathi films and some Bollywood films. After acting in the Academy Award-nominated ''Salaam Bombay'' in 1988, he won the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in ''Parinda'' (1989), following with another negative role in '' Angaar'' (1992). He acted in and made his directorial debut with '' Prahaar: The Final Attack'' (1991). Patekar subsequently starred in and received critical acclaim for his performance in several commercially successful films of the 1990s, including ''Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman'' (1992); '' Angaar'' (1992), for which he won the Filmfare Award for Best Villain; '' Tirangaa'' (1993); ''Krantiveer'' (1994), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and the Filmfare Award for Best Actor. Further acclaim came his way for '' Agni Sakshi'', for which he won the third National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor; and '' Khamoshi: The Musical'' (1996).

During the early 2000s, he received praise for his performances in '' Shakti: The Power'' (2002), ''Ab Tak Chhappan'' (2004) and ''Apaharan'' (2005); the latter earned him a second Best Villain award at Filmfare and ''Taxi No. 9211'' (2006). Patekar's gained widespread appreciation for playing a noted gangster ''Uday Shetty'' in the comedy ''Welcome'' (2007) and its sequel '' Welcome Back'' (2015), and a politician in the political thriller ''Raajneeti'' (2010). In 2016, he starred in the critically and commercially successful Marathi film ''Natsamrat''; in which he portrayed a retired stage actor. He won the Filmfare Award for Best Actor (Marathi) for his performance.

Early life

Nana Patekar was born as Vishwanath Patekar in a Marathi family on 1 January 1951 in Murud-Janjira of present-day Raigad District, Maharashtra. He is an alumnus of the Sir J.J. Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai.

Career

Patekar has played many types of roles. He has played the occasional villain, but has been a hero in most of his films.
His debut film was ''Gaman'' (1978), after which he did several small roles in Marathi cinema. He did the role of Nathuram Godse in the British television series '' Lord Mountbatten: The Last Viceroy''. He had notable roles in ''Aaj Ki Awaz'' (1984), ''Ankush'' (1986), ''Pratighaat'' (1987), ''Mohre'' (1987), ''Trishagni'' (1988), ''Awam'' (1987) and ''Sagar Sangam'' (1988).

His performance in Mira Nair's ''Salaam Bombay!'' (1988) was praised. He was noticed by the mainstream Hindi Cinema for his portrayal of a crime lord in ''Parinda'' (1989), for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Supporting Actor and was also awarded the Filmfare Best Supporting Actor Award.
He turned director with his movie '' Prahaar'' (1991), co-starring Madhuri Dixit, for which he underwent training for his role as an Indian Army officer. His role in '' Angaar'' (1992) earned him the Filmfare Best Villain Award. He co-starred with industry veteran Raaj Kumar in '' Tirangaa'' (1993). He played a truant, gambling son in ''Krantiveer'' (1994), for which he won the National Film Award for Best Actor and also won the Filmfare Award and the Star Screen Awards. Patekar portrayed the character of a ghost in the children's film '' Abhay'', which won two awards at the 42nd National Film Festival held in 1994. He co-starred with Rishi Kapoor in '' Hum Dono'' (1995). He played a sadist husband in '' Agni Sakshi'' (1996), a deaf father to Manisha Koirala in '' Khamoshi'' (1996), a gangster in ''Ghulam-E-Mustafa'' (1997), an honest, but maverick cop in ''Yeshwant'' (1997) and a schizophrenic in '' Wajood'' (1998). He co-starred with Amitabh Bachchan in ''Kohram'' (1999), where he played an undercover Indian Army intelligence officer chasing Bachchan's incognito. His other notable films of this decade were '' Yugpurush'' (1998) and ''Hu Tu Tu'' (1999).
He starred with Aditya Pancholi as the CBI director in the crime drama ''Tarkieb'' (2000). After a hiatus of a year he returned to acting in ''Shakti'' (2002) in which he played an extremely violent father. In ''Ab Tak Chhappan'' (2004), he played a police officer who is an encounter specialist. His performance in ''Apaharan'' (2005) earned him his second Filmfare Best Villain Award as well as the Star Screen Award Best Villain. He played a taxi driver in ''Taxi No. 9211'' (2006). Patekar has also done comic roles, such as in ''Welcome'' (2007), in which he plays a powerful crime lord in Dubai who once desired to be an actor in films. He acted in Sangeeth Sivan's film '' Ek'' (2009). He played a school headmaster in '' Paathshaala'' (2010). He also acted in Prakash Jha's multi-star political drama film ''Raajneeti'' (2010). In 2011, he starred in the critically acclaimed ''Shagird'' and a Marathi film ''Deool''. His next film was Ram Gopal Verma's ''The Attacks of 26/11'' (2013) based on the events of the 2008 Mumbai Attacks in which he played Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria. In 2014, he starred in another Marathi film ''Dr. Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero''. In 2015, he made two sequels reprising his roles in ''Ab Tak Chhappan 2'', sequel of ''Ab Tak Chhappan'' and '' Welcome Back'', the sequel of ''Welcome''. In 2016, he starred as Ganpatrao "Appa" Belwalkar in the film adaptation of the Drama ''Natsamrat'' which was highly successful critically and commercially. He did the voice acting for Shere Khan in the Hindi version of ''The Jungle Book'' (2016).

In April 2022, Patekar announced his return to the silver screen with a social-thriller drama ''The Confessions''. This would be the first movie after a long break from the film industry of roughly four years, since his in the 2018 film '' Kaala''.

Singing career

Patekar did some playback singing in the films ''Yeshwant'' (1997), '' Wajood'' (1998) and ''Aanch'' (2003).

Personal life

Patekar married Neelkanti at age 27. His father died of a heart attack when Nana was 28 and later Patekar also lost his first son. Patekar was a chain smoker until he quit at the age of 56. In an interview, he said that his father loved plays and encouraged him to watch them. This is how he developed his love for acting. Vijaya Mehta directed his first play. Patekar lives in Andheri, Mumbai in 1BHK apartment.

Patekar was commissioned as an honorary Captain in the Indian Territorial Army in 1990, after undergoing a three-year training period to prepare for the movie Prahaar, and worked with General V. K. Singh, who had the rank of Colonel at that time and had a cameo appearance. During the Kargil War in 1999, Patekar also lent his services in the Maratha Light Infantry regiment as an honorary Major.

In 2008, Tanushree Dutta accused Patekar of sexually harassing her on the sets of the movie ''Horn 'Ok' Pleassss''. In March 2008, she filed a complaint with 'CINTAA' (Cine & TV Artists Association) but no action was taken then. This allegation was repeated in an interview in 2013 and again made in 2018. In late 2018, CINTAA apologized to Dutta admitting that the "chief grievance of sexual harassment wasn't even addressed (in 2008)" but added that since the case was more than three years old, they could not reopen it.

Nana Patekar considers Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as his inspiration. In 2017, actor Nana Patekar attended the 'Guest Lecture Series' organized by Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Mumbai. At the event, Nana Patekar was asked by a person, "Nana, who is the 'inspiration' for you? You are the inspiration for us." Patekar immediately replied – " Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar. Babasaheb Ambedkar used in the suit (as a best clothe). He worked for everyone all his life. He has not only worked for Dalits. It is a misconception about Babasaheb Ambedkar that he is only a Dalit leader. He has worked for all societies. Babasaheb gave his whole life for them." B. R. Ambedkar has worked for all, for all societies, so Nana Patekar has considered him as his role model.

In 2018, Dutta restated her accusation of sexual harassment by Patekar in 2018, and her accusations led to the Me Too movement coming to Bollywood. Subsequently, she complained to the Maharashtra Women Commission and demanded an investigation into the allegations of harassment levelled by her against Patekar, Ganesh Acharya, producer Samee Siddiqui, director Rakesh Sarang, and several Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) party workers. In the late hours of 10 October 2018, An FIR was registered against Patekar and three others at Oshiwara police station following a complaint by Dutta late on Wednesday night. Patekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddiqui were booked for molestation and obscenity under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

In June 2019, Patekar was cleared of the sexual harassment charges. The B-Summary report filed by the Oshiwara police station in Mumbai said that the complaint filed by Dutta could be "malicious" and "out of revenge". Dutta said that her lawyers may approach the Bombay High Court to reopen the case.

Philanthropy

Patekar is known for his simple lifestyle and his generosity in donating to charities. He contributed money towards rebuilding of the flood ravaged villages in Bihar through the charitable organisation ''Anubhuthi''. All the monetary remuneration he obtained for his performance in the movie '' Paathshaala'' was donated by him to five different charitable organisations. When he was awarded the Raj Kapoor award which carries a cash prize of Rs , he donated the entire amount towards drought relief activities in Maharashtra. He also provided financial aid to families of farmers who committed suicide due to indebtedness brought about by drought. He distributed cheques worth Rs 15,000 to 62 families of farmers from Vidarbha region in August 2015 and another 113 families from Latur and Osmanabad districts of Marathwada in September 2015.

In September 2015, Patekar established the Naam Foundation, with fellow Marathi actor Makarand Anaspure, which works to provide aid to farmers overcome by drought conditions in Maharashtra.

Using a Twitter campaign with the hashtag IcareIsupport, Patekar was able to obtain funds to help Maharashtra drought victims.

Awards and recognition

*Patekar was given the Padma Shri award for his dedication in the field of Films and Arts in 2013 on the eve of 64th Republic Day.
* Patekar, along with Irrfan Khan, is the only actor ever to win Filmfare Awards in the Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Villain categories.

Filmography

References

External links

*

Further reading

Interview with Patekar

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patekar, Nana
Indian male film actors
1951 births
Living people
Marathi people
Male actors from Maharashtra
Indian filmmakers
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Best Actor National Film Award winners
Best Supporting Actor National Film Award winners
International Indian Film Academy Awards winners
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Sir Jamsetjee Jeejebhoy School of Art alumni
People from Raigad district
Filmfare Awards winners
Screen Awards winners
Zee Cine Awards winners