Dimple Kapadia and Nana Patekar worked together in four films, including Krantiveer (1994) and Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), both of which became iconic for capturing the angst, frustration and helplessness of common man and the middle class. Prahaar was the only feature film Nana directed in his career, with Dimple, Madhuri Dixit and Gautam Joglekar among its cast.Shaken by the news of Nana’s untimely demise, Dimple says she is still struggling to process the loss. “It’s unbelievable. It’s not sinking in. I wanted to call him the other day, but I delayed it and now I can’t speak to him ever. I wish I had made that call. I won’t be able to get over this.”Looking back at their journey and friendship, she recalls Nana as an actor and co-star who was deeply invested in his colleagues. “He was a fine actor and a great co-star who was always giving. It was wonderful to work with him because he wasn’t selfish. He cared about how I would look in a scene too, and how my character came across. That’s rare.”
Nana Patekar and Dimple Kapadia, inset in a still from Krantiveer
On a personal note, she says, “Nana was brutally honest. He never minced his words. If he wanted to say something to you, he would say it to your face. That was perhaps why he was often misunderstood. But he always said things for your own good. The intent was your bhalai. He wasn’t rude, just unfiltered and well-intentioned. There was an angst all over his face, but he was extremely warm and caring as a person.”Dimple remembers several instances of his spontaneous interventions on set. “There was a courtroom scene in one of our films where I had to be teary-eyed, and he would yell at me from a distance, ‘Aiyee Dimpy, glycerine nahi use karneka.’” She laughs, recalling how Nana never hesitated to push his co-stars to give their best.She also remembers a scene in another film where Nana’s character was supposed to investigate hers. “I am shown putting my knitting needles aside when he enters. He saw the prop and started knitting himself. For a man to do that was powerful and spontaneous. It made the scene look organic and impactful.”
A still from Nana Patekar’s directorial Prahaar
Dimple is particularly grateful that she got to experience Nana not just as an actor but as a director. “I’m glad I was directed by Nana in Prahaar. Was he calm on set as a director? Not at all. He was totally mad,” she says with a smile. “But there was so much to learn from him as an artiste and as a person.”Reflecting on their much-loved pairing in Krantiveer, she adds, “We fed off each other’s energy in Krantiveer. This is such a great loss for Hindi cinema, Marathi cinema and theatre. I’m going to miss him and his simplicity.”Author: Renuka.Vyavahare@timesofindia.com
