Shekhar Suman reveals Nana Patekar was to be final guest on ‘Shekhar Tonite’: ‘You were supposed to sit across from me’
In Short
Actor and television host Shekhar Suman paid an emotional tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar.
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Actor and television host Shekhar Suman paid an emotional tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar
Mumbai: Actor and television host Shekhar Suman paid an emotional tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar.
He revealed that the acclaimed actor was supposed to be the final guest of Season 1 of his show, ‘Shekhar Tonite’. Remembering Patekar, Suman said he had imagined the two old colleagues sharing conversations, laughter, and candid moments on the show, but his untimely demise has left the chair meant for him empty. Sharing Nana’s photo on Instagram, Shekhar wrote, “Nana… you were supposed to sit across from me. Not leave us like this. This morning, I woke up to news I still don’t quite know how to accept. Nana Patekar was supposed to be the final guest of Season 1 of Shekhar Tonight. I had imagined the laughter. The silences. His brutally honest answers. That unmistakable Nana intensity. And somewhere between all of it, perhaps two old colleagues talking about how quickly life has gone by. That chair will now remain empty. And somehow, that emptiness says more than any conversation ever could.”
“Nana was never merely an actor. He was a force of nature. He spoke the way he lived, without decoration, without pretence, straight from somewhere deep within. There was anger in him, humour in him, vulnerability in him, rebellion in him… but above everything else, there was truth. Very few people have the courage to be entirely themselves in an industry that so often asks you to become somebody else,” he added.
The ‘Bhoomi’ actor went on to state, “perhaps this is life’s cruellest reminder, we keep assuming there will be another phone call, another meeting, another evening, another opportunity to tell someone what they meant to us. Sometimes there isn’t.”
“Nana, wherever you are, I hope you know how deeply you were loved, respected and admired. Generations will remember the performances, the dialogues and that extraordinary voice. But those who understood you will remember something beyond cinema, the man who refused to dilute himself for anyone.”
“Season 1 of Shekhar Tonight was supposed to end with your voice. Instead, it ends with your silence And that silence will stay with me for a very, very long time. Farewell, Nana. you will forever have a place in our story. Om Shanti,” he concluded.
Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away on October 8. As per reports, he was found unresponsive at his Goa residence after reportedly suffering severe chest discomfort.
