Veteran actor Nana Patekar’s death at the age of 75 has brought back memories of his remarkable career and the many candid conversations he had over the years. During his appearance on Rajat Sharma’s Aap Ki Adalat in 2023, the actor opened up about his childhood and revealed that he often felt inferior while growing up.
Nana Patekar was known for his straightforward personality and powerful performances, but in the interview, he spoke about a more vulnerable side of his life. He recalled how he would often feel that he was lacking something when he was a child, saying, “I always felt I was lacking something.”
Nana Patekar recalls feeling inferior as a child
During his appearance on Aap Ki Adalat, when he was asked if he had ever felt inferior and wondered whether anyone would talk to him, Nana Patekar replied, “59 ki baat hai, yahan jab aaya saatvi kaksha ke liye, meri mausi thi, woh teacher thi. Toh sudharne ke liye meri maa ne gaon se mausi ke paas bheja. Toh agle saal mausi ne, uske bachche kharab na ho, isliye mujhe wapas bhej diya. (It was in 1959 when I came here to study in Class 7. My maternal aunt was a teacher, so my mother sent me from the village to stay with her and continue my studies. But the following year, my aunt sent me back because she did not want her children to be affected.)”
He further added, “Aur hamesha lagta tha ki is shakal se sabhi itne… mere baaki ke bhai jo the, woh dikhne mein achhe, khoobsurat the aur meri ye apni shakal thi. Toh mujhe hamesha lagta tha ki mere maa-baap unse zyada pyaar karte hain, mujhe kam karte hain. Toh ek baar maine naatak mein kaam kar diya. Gaon mein jab tha, toh woh naatak dekhne ke liye pitaji Mumbai se gaon aaye the. Toh maine kaha, ye bahut achha tareeka hai pitaji ka dhyaan apni taraf modne ka. Waise hi maine theatre shuru kiya. Lekin hamesha main apne aap ko chhota aur kam samajhta aaya tha ki mujhe laga mujh mein kuch kami hai. (I always felt that my appearance was different. My other brothers were good-looking and handsome, while I had this face. So I always felt that my parents loved them more and loved me less. Then, once, I acted in a play when I was in the village. My father had come from Mumbai to watch the play. I thought this was a very good way of getting my father’s attention and turning it towards me. That is how I started theatre. But I always felt small and inferior. I always felt I was lacking something.)
About Nana Patekar’s death
Nana Patekar passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 75 after suffering a severe cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. The veteran actor was found unresponsive and immediately taken to Manipal Hospital. Doctors tried to revive him with CPR for around 45 minutes, but he could not be saved. He was declared dead at approximately 5:20 am, following which a post-mortem was ordered.
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When Nana Patekar revealed the real story behind his iconic ‘machhar’ dialogue on Aap Ki Adalat
