Nana Patekar Recalls Differences With Sanjay Leela Bhansali: I Don’t Even See It As My Fault

Renowned for his intense performances, actor Nana Patekar has also earned a reputation for his short temper, with several altercations marking his career, including incidents on the sets of Parinda and Khamoshi.

Recently, Nana candidly acknowledged his naturally aggressive nature and credited acting as an outlet for his pent-up emotions. He even speculated that without his acting career, he might have ventured into a life of crime.

Nana Patekar: I would probably have joined the underworld

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, Nana opened up about his violent tendencies and how acting provided a constructive outlet. “I used to scare people because of my violent nature,” he revealed. “I didn’t speak much; my actions did the talking. I am less violent now, but if someone provokes me, I might still react physically.”

He added, “If I hadn’t become an actor, I would probably have joined the underworld. Acting became my way of channeling frustration.” He also admitted to being involved in numerous physical altercations, stating, “I’ve had many fights and can’t even recall most of the people I’ve clashed with.”

Nana Patekar’s Rift with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

One of Nana’s most notorious disputes occurred with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali during the making of Khamoshi. Reflecting on the incident, Nana shared, “There’s a possibility of working with Bhansali again, but I think he felt bad because of the way I yelled at him. We haven’t worked together since then. That fight didn’t impact either of our lives significantly.”

While Nana expressed regret over the fallout, he also acknowledged his own harsh behavior. “I do miss collaborating with Sanjay, but I am incredibly blunt. I use very strong words, which might have upset him. However, I’ve never tried to explain myself to him because I believe that long-standing relationships shouldn’t require explanations over minor issues. I don’t even see it as my fault. Maybe we’ll sort things out in the future,” he added.

In a prior interview, Nana detailed the argument with Bhansali. He explained that the disagreement stemmed from a scene where his character’s wife, played by Seema Biswas, suffers a heart attack. “Sanjay wanted my character to sense what was happening behind him and turn around, despite being unaware of the situation. I questioned why I would turn around without any logical reason, which led to a heated argument.”

This creative clash marked the end of their collaboration, though both Nana and Bhansali have continued to achieve success independently. The incident remains a memorable chapter in their professional journeys.