RIP Nana Patekar

 I am reminds me this scene from Nana Patekar's movie ANKOOSH from the year 1986 when I was in my teens. A feminine boy goes around a neighborhood swinging his hips, while Nana Patekar and his friends pass comments to a girl walking nearby (a term used for eve teasing back home in Odisha). The boy protests - MEIN SAARI LADKIYON KO APNI MAA SAMAJHTA HOON (I consider all girls as my mother). To this Nana delivers his epic Punchline, "TERA NIYAT TO THIK HAI, LEKIN TERA BAAP KA KYA HOGA - "You're fine, but what will happen to your dad". It was the first Hindi movie of Nana Patekar which instantly catapulted him into limelight. Since then he never looked back with a series of hits to follow one after another.

In the 1987 movie "PRATIGHAAT" Nana plays the role of an honest policeman whose wife gets kidnapped by a local mafia goon. Nana appeals to his superior - "SIR, KAALI NE MERE BIWI KO UTHAKE LE GAYA" (Kaali has taken away my wife force)", to which his boss replies - "Go and sleep peacefully. We will look at the matter tomorrow". Nana responds - "Sir, KOI AAP KI BIWI KO UTHA KE LE JAYE TO AAP CHAIN KE NEEND SOENGE !" (If someone kidnapped your wife, will you be able to sleep peacefully that night" ?

Next comes a scene from the 1989 movie "PARINDA" where the actor Nana Patekar playing the role of a psycho gangster asks his henchman Jackie Shroff - "TERA BHAI KAISA HAI" (How is your brother) to which Jackie responds - "BAHUT DUKHI HAI" (He is very sad). Then Nana Patekar goes on - "YEH DUKH NAAM KI BIMARI KA KOI BHI DOCTOR KE PAAS ILAAZ NAHI HAI. KHUD KO BHOOL NA PADTA HAI" (There is no cure for sadness with any doctor. One has to learn to forget". In the same movie he nonchalantly asks Jackie - "KARAN TERA BHAI KO SAMJHA, NAHI SAMJHE TO GOLI MAR DE". (Karan, try to make your brother understand. If he doesn't, shoot him). He says his henchman to kill his brother as casually as killing a mosquito. Oh, talking of mosquito 🦟. He famously said in another movie while clapping a mosquito to death - "EK MACHHAR NE AADMI KO HIZDA BANA DIYA" (A mosquito has turned a male into an eunuch).

In another scene from Bollywood movie APAHARAN (Kidnapping), Nana Patekar playing a Don hires a rookie kidnapper played by Ajay Devgan into his gang. Nana's perturbed and jealous acolytes question the veracity of taking Devgan into their folder. His boss Nana justifies his hiring - "PEHLE APNA AUKAAD DIKHAYA, USKE BAAD KAAM MANGA (He first proved his worth, then he asked for job). That day I learned something from this monologue. It certainly looks great if I establish my credentials first and then brace myself for any credit. Not the other way around.

There are way too many monologues of Nana to reproduce in this blog. He has delivered several epic ones in multiple movies he has acted, using in his direct, no nonsense dialigue deluvery using his heavy, baritone voice. Nana Patekar who passed away earlier today in Goa, India at the age of 75 had carved his niche in Bollywood for 40 years long. RIP the great Marathi actor. Om 🕉 Shanti.