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Nana Patekar was one of Indian cinema’s most versatile and accomplished actors, yet he often spoke candidly about his insecurities over his appearance. During his early days in theatre, a friend even suggested that he pursue a different career because he wasn’t “charming” enough. However, for Nana, acting was more than just a passion. It was a way to earn his parents’ attention and prove his worth. Over the years, the actor spoke candidly about his insecurities and how he eventually overcame them.
Speaking on Aap Ki Adalat, Nana recalled how he felt out of place among the leading men of his time.
“During my time, all the heroes were good-looking with a chocolate-boy charm, and I came with a face like this, thinking, who would even want to look at us?” he said.
The actor added, “I always thought that my parents didn’t like me because I was not as good-looking as my brothers. I thought their love was not the same for me. This one time, when I participated in a play, my father had travelled from Mumbai to watch me. Looking at that, I thought acting was the best way to gain my parents’ attention. Then I joined theatre.”
Recalling an incident from his early theatre days, Nana Patekar said one of his friends from Marathi theatre had advised him to find a full-time job and treat theatre as an occasional hobby.
“He ridiculed my looks. He said, ‘Have you seen a mirror? Shakal dekhi hai apni? Who will want to watch you?’ He was a good-looking chap,” Nana recalled.
But the criticism did not haunt him for long.
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“When I joined theatre, I saw that good-looking people had come to see me and were sitting at a distance, so that gave me confidence as well as ego. And my complex left me,” he said.
The actor added, “The way you look will sit with someone for about two minutes. What after that?”
In another conversation with Aamir Khan for Zee Music Company, Nana Patekar even joked about his appearance while reflecting on his longevity in the film industry.
“You are better-looking. Look at my face. With a face like this, I managed to survive for fifty years in the industry,” he said.
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Over time, Nana Patekar understood that looks could only take an actor so far. What mattered in the long run was the ability to perform. With that confidence came a deep sense of commitment to his craft—so much so that he once returned from hospital to complete the climax of Krantiveer, at a time when he feared he might not survive.
“Right before shooting the climax of Krantiveer, I was in hospital—extremely sick. I was like, if I die today, my director and producer will die tomorrow. So I insisted my doctors to let me finish it. I went on the set with my doctor, briefed the director to set up to five cameras. The doctor said I had to rest. It was supposed to be a seven-day climax; I finished it in 2.5 hours in one take,” he told The Lallantop.
His commitment to cinema extended beyond his own work. On another occasion, Nana mortgaged his house to help filmmaker N Chandra complete Ankush.
Recalling how it happened, Nana said, “He was Gulzar’s assistant. He had made Mere Apne. Later, Tapan Sinha made this film in Bengali as Apanjan. Then Chandu thought of taking inspiration from these films and made Ankush.”
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He added, “Our salaries were fixed. We were to receive Rs 10,000 for our roles, with only Rs 3,000 under production and the remaining Rs 7,000 after the film’s release. Yet, the money was over in the middle of the shoot. To help him, I mortgaged my house in Andheri for Rs 2.5 lakh. Later, when the film worked, he returned my money. He even gifted me a scooter. It was my life’s first vehicle.”
From being told that audiences wouldn’t want to see his face to becoming one of the most respected actors of his generation, Nana Patekar’s journey was ultimately less about appearance and more about finding confidence, purpose and a place of his own in cinema. The actor died on Thursday at 75.
