Mukesh Rishi fondly remembers Nana Patekar's sense of discipline

Mumbai: Actor Mukesh Rishi, who was recently seen in the streaming series ‘Salakaar’, has shared his fondest memories of working with the late acting legend Nana Patekar.

Mukesh Rishi spoke with IANS following Nana Patekar’s demise, and said, “He was an amazing actor. He brought a lot of variety to his films. His intensity was amazing. There is a film that I remember very well. ‘Kohram’, which I did with him. We were shooting in Jammu, Katra. My wife was also reminding me. He was not just an actor, he was also a great man. After the shooting, he used to live like a normal man. We were in the same hotel. I used to go upstairs. One day, I remembered that I had gone to give sweets”.

On Thursday, Nana Patekar passed away at the age of 75 in Goa. The actor suffered cardiac arrest. The actor was taken to hospital where doctors attempted CPR and resuscitation for about 45 minutes. However, he was later declared dead on arrival.

Mukesh Rishi told IANS, “It was my birthday. He used to keep the door open. He wished everyone a very happy birthday. He said, wait, wait. He gave me INR 100. He said, ‘This is your gift’. Sometimes, my wife used to go to the kitchen. She used to make something. She used to make curry and feed it to him. He then used to tell my wife, ‘Let's see what you make’. My wife said that will make Rajma. He said, ‘You make it your way, I will make it my way’. Acting is fine, but when such a strong human side comes in front of you, he becomes yours. So that's how the relationship was. It's been a long time since I met him. But I have seen almost all of his films”.

“He used to do amazing work. But his dedication to work was very important. This is something to appreciate. Sometimes we used to listen to him. He used to get irritated. Maybe it was because of his strong sense of discipline. I understand the meaning of discipline, I’ve worked in the South. If you stay in the South, you bring so much happiness to the unit. If our director doesn't come, he feels very bad. Maybe that's why he was like that. He wanted to be disciplined. Come on time, start the film on time, and don't waste time. So we have heard his qualities. He was healthy. He took care of his body. He knew what oxygen he needed. He used to live in his village, and work from there. He was a man of nature. He lived like himself. So it feels strange. These numbers don't matter. That man himself matters”, he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]