Nana Patekar: Intense on screen, controversial off it

Nana Patekar never seemed like an actor who simply stepped into a character. There was always something raw and deeply personal in his performances, perhaps drawn from the life he had lived and the struggles he had witnessed. This made him one of the most memorable actors in Hindi and Marathi cinema, someone who could leave a lasting impression even in a few minutes on screen. But as much as his work earned him admiration, the later years of his career were increasingly clouded by controversies that threatened to become as much a part of his public image as his films.

From ‘Parinda’ and ‘Agni Sakshi’ to the many characters he made unforgettable, Patekar built a career on refusing to play it safe. He was admired for his extraordinary range, his intensity and his unmistakable presence, both on and off screen. He was also a man who rarely softened his opinions or hid behind convention. Over time, however, that uncompromising personality brought its share of clashes and controversies, changing the way his life and career were viewed by the public.

The biggest controversy came in 2018, when actor Tanushree Dutta revived an allegation dating back to the filming of 'Horn ‘Ok Pleassss.' Tanushree alleged that Patekar had behaved inappropriately with her during the filming of a dance sequence and had insisted that she perform intimate steps with him. He denied the allegations and maintained that they were untrue.

The allegations triggered a major public debate, coming at a time when the #MeToo movement was forcing Bollywood to confront questions about sexual harassment and power in the industry. The controversy also changed the conversation around Patekar, whose public persona had until then been largely associated with his acting, social activism and outspoken views.

The Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) sought a response from Patekar over the allegations. He submitted a detailed reply, while the association said that although it viewed sexual harassment as a serious issue, it did not have the jurisdiction to take disciplinary action over an incident that had allegedly taken place more than three years earlier. The criminal complaint later ended with the Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in Andheri dismissing the case against Patekar.

But the controversy did not disappear. It continued to follow the actor into public spaces, with his appearances at film events occasionally drawing objections and protests. His 2023 visit to the International Film Festival of Kerala was one such instance. Patekar had been invited to the festival, where he spent time in Thiruvananthapuram and met filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan. His presence, however, was not welcomed by everyone within the festival fraternity.

“There were a few of us who felt that his visit here was not appropriate given that he had been accused of a serious crime. This is something many of us did not approve of,” a source associated with the festival told Onmanorama. Patekar, during his visit to the state capital, spoke about his long-standing desire to work in Malayalam cinema, saying he had waited for a call from the industry but that it had never come.

His controversies were not confined to the allegations involving Tanushree Dutta. Patekar’s reputation for being fiercely outspoken also surfaced in accounts of disagreements with filmmakers. One of the better-known instances involved 'Parinda' director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. Reports have described a heated confrontation between the two over production costs, with the actor later acknowledging that he had several disagreements with Vincent Vidhu.

Patekar himself has spoken openly about his temper and the confrontations that have marked his career. These accounts added another layer to the image of an actor whose intensity on screen sometimes appeared to extend into his professional relationships.

Away from cinema, however, Nana Patekar had cultivated another identity: that of a socially conscious public figure. Through Naam Foundation, the organisation he co-founded, he worked on issues concerning farmers in Maharashtra and spoke frequently about rural distress. His interventions were often political in tone, though he did not formally align himself with a political party. He urged people to vote for governments that supported farmers and, at times, criticised those in power.

That combination made him a complicated public figure: an actor whose commitment to his craft was rarely questioned, a performer capable of extraordinary emotional force, and a public personality whose words, actions and controversies increasingly became part of the story. For an actor who spent much of his career insisting that performance should come from truth, the irony was that, in his later years, the conversation around Nana Patekar was often less about the characters he played and more about the man behind them.