Shah Rukh Khan remembered Nana Patekar as a mentor, friend and one of the most honest people he knew. In an emotional tribute shared on X, the actor recalled their first meeting, Nana’s advice and the many memories they shared.
Shah Rukh said he was nervous when he first met Nana. He recalled playing with his hair out of awkwardness, when the senior actor stopped him and said, “hero ki tarah Baal mat bana…tu actor hai!”
Remembering Nana’s straightforward nature, Shah Rukh said the actor never tried to please people with sweet words. Instead, he always spoke his mind and told people what they needed to hear.
“He didn’t flatter you. He didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana,” Shah Rukh wrote.
He also spoke about Nana’s unique way of showing affection. The veteran actor might scold someone first, but his love would become clear in his own way.
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“He would shout at you first, and then somewhere between the third or fourth insult, you realized you were being hugged. He loved me and I loved him back,” Shah Rukh wrote.
The actor remembered Nana as a teacher, critic and friend who was always ready to give honest advice. He also shared a lighter memory of their carrom games, saying Nana often beat everyone and enjoyed every victory.
“He was a mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend who beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories,” he wrote.
Shah Rukh said he wished they had more time together. He wanted more conversations, arguments, cups of tea and games of carrom with his friend.
“Nana your intensity, laughter, madness and love will always stay with us. I just wish we had time to have more conversations, another argument, another cup of tea and a game of carrom,” he wrote.
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He also remembered Nana’s advice: “hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona”. The words reflected the veteran actor’s belief in staying true to the craft rather than getting caught up in the idea of stardom.
Shah Rukh ended his tribute by saying that Nana’s absence would be felt not just in cinema but also by everyone whose life he had touched.
“The Heavens will be blessed to have you… a masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion. Love you and miss you dearly!! Too soon my Hero Actor! RIP,” he wrote.
Shah Rukh Khan and Nana Patekar worked together in the 1992 romantic comedy ‘Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman’, directed by Aziz Mirza. They also appeared in the 2002 film ‘Shakti: The Power’.
Nana Patekar died at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his home in Goa.