Nana Patekar: The man we never really knew |
Nana Patekar: The man we never really knew
A veteran film journalist remembers decades of encounters with Nana Patekar, from intimidating film sets and a prized exclusive interview to his softer side.
New Delhi: Did we ever really know Nana Patekar?
I don’t think so. I have known Nana for decades, met him on film sets, watched him work, interviewed him and seen the many shades of his personality. Yet, if someone were to ask me whether I really understood the man, my answer would still be no.
Nana was an enigma. Unpredictable, outspoken, independent and, above all, fiercely real to the core. He was not a man who believed in being politically correct or saying things merely to please people. He could be blunt, even abrasive. He upset people, sometimes without seeming to realise how deeply his words could hurt. But did he care about being liked? I don’t think so.
Having interacted with him over the years, I also believe Nana did not snap at people without reason. Something usually provoked him — pretence, arrogance, insincerity or simply a lack of professionalism. He was a perfectionist who expected others to take their work as seriously as he took his own. And if you happened to be a journalist interviewing Nana, you had better come prepared!
I remember how particular he was about journalists knowing their subject. He had no patience for someone who turned up with a microphone and a handful of superficial questions. “You should know your subject. Only then come to me,” was his attitude.
He could school you right there, leaving you wondering whether you had come to interview him or sit for an examination. But that was Nana. He expected excellence from himself and from those around him.
The microphone that failed to impress him
One particular incident remains fresh in my memory. I was at an event where a journalist from a major television network was waiting to interview Nana. The channel’s representative seemed to believe that the size of the broadcasting network and its prominently displayed microphone would be enough to secure an interview.
Nana, however, was not impressed. He chose instead to sit and chat with me in Marathi. It was an informal conversation, without any fuss or ceremony. When the television journalist approached him, Nana made it clear that if the channel wanted his interview, it would have to make a contribution to his foundation.
His reasoning was simple. If a television channel was going to........