Juhi Chawla says Nana Patekar was legendary in his own rustic way
Juhi Chawla remembers Nana Patekar: the dafli, the title song, a long scene lecture on Gang and a Maharashtrian thali at his Dadar home.
Juhi Chawla is remembering Nana Patekar as both a towering actor and a quietly warm host. The two worked together in Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and the delayed crime drama Gang (2000), and in an exclusive conversation with Hindustan Times she looked back at a co-star who is no more.
Her first thought is of the time they spent together. “I’m thinking of the times we spent together and feeling sad that somebody I worked with is no more,” she said.
A presence that made her overawed
On the sets of Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Juhi remembered Nana as a unique presence and an iconic actor. His acting style, she said, was “so rooted,” and as a senior he left her overawed. He played the dafli and sang the film’s title song.
That rootedness became his signature. In an industry where characters can feel interchangeable, Nana’s roles felt lived-in and specific.
The scene lecture from Gang
Gang arrived after years of fragmented shooting, which made the schedule difficult. Juhi recalled being nervous about one scene. Nana sat her down and gave her a long lecture on how to approach it. She said she sat there “intimidated and listening intently.”
The moment captures what younger co-stars received from him: not just performance, but perspective.
Ganeshotsav at his Dadar home
His off-screen warmth matched the on-screen intensity. During the 90s, Nana invited them for Ganeshotsav at his house in Dadar. Juhi remembered a simple home, his mother making sure guests ate before they left, and a floor-seated meal of typical Maharashtrian food in thalis.
- On set: rooted acting, the dafli and the title song of Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.
- During Gang: a long lecture that steadied a nervous scene.
- At home: a simple Dadar home, Ganeshotsav and a thali served with insistence.
These details matter because they are the opposite of filmi lore. Juhi’s tribute is built not on awards or box-office but on a title song, a patient lecture and a home-cooked thali. For an audience that follows stars as closely as their films, that is the kind of memory that survives.
A legendary, rustic way
Juhi watched him in many films and offered a simple tribute: “He was legendary in his own rustic way.” He added colour and character to every film, and his presence was felt in each one.
For fans, that is the invitation: revisit the films and notice the actor who made every frame fuller.
Source: Hindustan Times
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