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Remembering Nana Patekar: 25 landmark roles of the Krantiveer actor

The actor, who passed away on Thursday morning, built a path for himself over a period of 40 years with countless memories portrayals of idealism, angst, and intensity
Remembering Nana Patekar: A 48-year legacy of power and intensity
Nana Patekar
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A brief look at his IMDb page, and you finally understand the secret ingredient of Nana Patekar’s greatness and legacy: his consistency. Ever since his breakout role in Salaam Bombay (1988), the veteran actor, who passed away on October 7, continued to make his presence felt with strong and powerful roles year after year, bringing a rarely channelled intensity to Hindi cinema and paving the path for actors who didn’t necessarily fit into the conventional ideas of stardom.

Here’s a look back at 25 landmark roles in the late actor's five-decade long career.

Gaman (1978): Nana Patekar made his debut in Mujaffar Ali's poignant film about Bombay and it's tumultous relationship with migrants and never-ending longing for home
Gaman (1978): Nana Patekar made his debut in Mujaffar Ali's poignant film about Bombay and it's tumultous relationship with migrants and never-ending longing for home
Aaj Ki Awaz (1984): The actor's first appearance in mainstream Hindi cinema came in this 1984 vigilante drama where he played a wealthy evil tycoon, leaving strong impression on the audience
Aaj Ki Awaz (1984): The actor's first appearance in mainstream Hindi cinema came in this 1984 vigilante drama where he played a wealthy evil tycoon, leaving strong impression on the audience
Ankush (1986): N Chandra's gritty social drama about India's unemployed and disillusioned youth sturkc a chord with audience, and Nana Patekar delivered first of his many memorables performances as an angsty man using rage to deal with his circumstances
Ankush (1986): N Chandra's gritty social drama about India's unemployed and disillusioned youth sturkc a chord with audience, and Nana Patekar delivered first of his many memorables performances as an angsty man using rage to deal with his circumstances
Salaam Bombay (1988): In Mira Nair’s portrayal of the grimy Mumbai underbelly, Nana Patekar plays Baba, the local drug lord. He is temperamental and scheming, and Nana plays it with a restrained madness. You never know when the warm smile will turn into a psychopathic grin. The all-bad of Bombay contained in one sweaty, vest-wearing man. Notice him in a scene where he picks up his daughter and shakes her vigorously over a balcony -- Pure magic, pure evil.
Salaam Bombay (1988): In Mira Nair’s portrayal of the grimy Mumbai underbelly, Nana Patekar plays Baba, the local drug lord. He is temperamental and scheming, and Nana plays it with a restrained madness. You never know when the warm smile will turn into a psychopathic grin. The all-bad of Bombay contained in one sweaty, vest-wearing man. Notice him in a scene where he picks up his daughter and shakes her vigorously over a balcony -- Pure magic, pure evil.
Parinda (1989): Villains were rarely as menacing as Anna, and Nana Patekar brought a whole new level of terror on-screen with his grounded, yet larger-than-life portrayal of a crime overlord whose laughter conceals indelible evil within and whose fears sometimes overpower his ferocity
Parinda (1989): Villains were rarely as menacing as Anna, and Nana Patekar brought a whole new level of terror on-screen with his grounded, yet larger-than-life portrayal of a crime overlord whose laughter conceals indelible evil within and whose fears sometimes overpower his ferocity
Thoda Sa Romani Ho Jaayein (1990): This Amol Palekar musical stands as a rare presence in Nana's filmography, for capturing the gentle poetic side of the actor otherwise known for his intensity.
Thoda Sa Romani Ho Jaayein (1990): This Amol Palekar musical stands as a rare presence in Nana's filmography, for capturing the gentle poetic side of the actor otherwise known for his intensity.
Prahaar (1991): With what can be arguably recalled as first Hindi film about army life, Nana Patekar captured not just the life of a soldier, but also the challenging life beyond it, a life riddled with moral and socio-political barriers
Prahaar (1991): With what can be arguably recalled as first Hindi film about army life, Nana Patekar captured not just the life of a soldier, but also the challenging life beyond it, a life riddled with moral and socio-political barriers
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992): Aziz Mirza's Bombay film was an earnest update on Raj Kapoor's Shree 420, and Nana Patekar as Jai --- with his chancellor white cap and a whistle on his lips --- embodied the tramp's essence, often tying the narrative with his sharp commentary on capitalism and its perils.
Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992): Aziz Mirza's Bombay film was an earnest update on Raj Kapoor's Shree 420, and Nana Patekar as Jai --- with his chancellor white cap and a whistle on his lips --- embodied the tramp's essence, often tying the narrative with his sharp commentary on capitalism and its perils.
Tiranga (1993): In one of thre most fascinating casting coups of its era, Nana Patekar shared screen with Raj Kumar, yet another actor known for his dialogue-driven histrionics, delivering a massy entertainer that at its core was about patriotism.
Tiranga (1993): In one of thre most fascinating casting coups of its era, Nana Patekar shared screen with Raj Kumar, yet another actor known for his dialogue-driven histrionics, delivering a massy entertainer that at its core was about patriotism.
Krantiveer (1994): This is where Nana Patekar achieved his peak as a star as well as crowd-puller -- playing Pratap, a nihilistic cynic who deep down cared too much for his nation. Many moments from the Mehul Kumar film continue to live in the nation's pop culture memory
Krantiveer (1994): This is where Nana Patekar achieved his peak as a star as well as crowd-puller -- playing Pratap, a nihilistic cynic who deep down cared too much for his nation. Many moments from the Mehul Kumar film continue to live in the nation's pop culture memory
Agni Sakshi: Trust Nana Patekar to play a male chauvinist sociopath without resorting to theatrics. In Partho Ghosh’s 1996 drama-thriller, also starring Jackie Shroff and Manisha Koirala, he plays Vishwanath, the psychotic ex-husband of Manisha’s character Madhu/Shubangi, with a matter-of-factness and a cold gaze where his eyes express the most. His sequences from this movie have been fodder for memes. Who can forget Patekar shooting a gun at a birthday party because he is miffed with the noise. The actor gave birthday blues sufferers a bumper sticker--“Come on party’s over, go to sleep now, behave like a grown-up child.”
Agni Sakshi: Trust Nana Patekar to play a male chauvinist sociopath without resorting to theatrics. In Partho Ghosh’s 1996 drama-thriller, also starring Jackie Shroff and Manisha Koirala, he plays Vishwanath, the psychotic ex-husband of Manisha’s character Madhu/Shubangi, with a matter-of-factness and a cold gaze where his eyes express the most. His sequences from this movie have been fodder for memes. Who can forget Patekar shooting a gun at a birthday party because he is miffed with the noise. The actor gave birthday blues sufferers a bumper sticker--“Come on party’s over, go to sleep now, behave like a grown-up child.”
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996): Defying all market and audience expectations, Nana Patekar chose the role of a deaf-and-mute man in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut, capturing nonetheless the unspoken sorrows of Joseph and his struggle to live a life of dignity -- all with his sheer command on use of silences and microexpressions.
Khamoshi: The Musical (1996): Defying all market and audience expectations, Nana Patekar chose the role of a deaf-and-mute man in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut, capturing nonetheless the unspoken sorrows of Joseph and his struggle to live a life of dignity -- all with his sheer command on use of silences and microexpressions.
Ghulam e Musthafa (1998): This gangster film remains one of the most underrated works of Nana Patekar's career. Playing a hitman who takes a second chance at a good life, the veteran brought a lot of gravitas to the part.
Ghulam e Musthafa (1998): This gangster film remains one of the most underrated works of Nana Patekar's career. Playing a hitman who takes a second chance at a good life, the veteran brought a lot of gravitas to the part.
Wajood (1998): In perhaps the only film that dared to portray Nana Patekar as a lover -- albeit an obsessive one -- the actor brought a unique charm to the poetic lines, making the audience empathise with a theatre actor who increasingly struggles to distinguish between imagination and reality.
Wajood (1998): In perhaps the only film that dared to portray Nana Patekar as a lover -- albeit an obsessive one -- the actor brought a unique charm to the poetic lines, making the audience empathise with a theatre actor who increasingly struggles to distinguish between imagination and reality.
Hu Tu Tu (1999): Trust Gulzat to envision Nana Patekar as a sutradhar who is equally capable of delivering musical sermons as well as leading a political movement with a gritty resolve. Hu Tu Tu was a disturbing political drama, and Nana Patekar as Bhau was the tender heart of it.
Hu Tu Tu (1999): Trust Gulzat to envision Nana Patekar as a sutradhar who is equally capable of delivering musical sermons as well as leading a political movement with a gritty resolve. Hu Tu Tu was a disturbing political drama, and Nana Patekar as Bhau was the tender heart of it.
Shakti: The Power (2002): Wearing a dhoti-kurta and sporting a thick Bihari accent, Nana Patekar plays Narasimha, a rugged patriarch of a rural crime family in Krishna Vamsi’s 2002 Hindi remake of the 1998 Telugu film Anthahpuram. Patekar brings the bleakness in the film, also starring Karisma Kapoor. He is a live-wire here, volatile and often resorting to theatrics. Only he can play a man whose idea of amusing his grandson is to show him how to throw a bomb.
Shakti: The Power (2002): Wearing a dhoti-kurta and sporting a thick Bihari accent, Nana Patekar plays Narasimha, a rugged patriarch of a rural crime family in Krishna Vamsi’s 2002 Hindi remake of the 1998 Telugu film Anthahpuram. Patekar brings the bleakness in the film, also starring Karisma Kapoor. He is a live-wire here, volatile and often resorting to theatrics. Only he can play a man whose idea of amusing his grandson is to show him how to throw a bomb.
Ab Tak Chhappan (2004): In Shimit Amin’s debut directorial, Nana Patekar plays Sadhu Agashe, an encounter specialist with the Mumbai police. But Sadhu is no saint. He walks a thin line between doing his duty and his idea of deliverance. A part of himself seems to die with every bullet he fires to kill. Spoiler alert but notice Patekar’s acting in a scene where his wife (Revathi) is killed in a shooting. His first reaction is not of pain or sorrow but is rather clinical. He checks for her pulse and asks people to not call for an ambulance (“It’s ok, she is dead”). In that one blank stare, he reached for the centre of a character for whom death is an everyday reality.
Ab Tak Chhappan (2004): In Shimit Amin’s debut directorial, Nana Patekar plays Sadhu Agashe, an encounter specialist with the Mumbai police. But Sadhu is no saint. He walks a thin line between doing his duty and his idea of deliverance. A part of himself seems to die with every bullet he fires to kill. Spoiler alert but notice Patekar’s acting in a scene where his wife (Revathi) is killed in a shooting. His first reaction is not of pain or sorrow but is rather clinical. He checks for her pulse and asks people to not call for an ambulance (“It’s ok, she is dead”). In that one blank stare, he reached for the centre of a character for whom death is an everyday reality.
Apaharan (2005): This was the first film in which Nana Patekar was directed by Prakash Jha. Patekar plays kingpin Tabrez Alam in the film who becomes the godfather of Ajay Devgn’s Ajay Shastri, an unemployed young man who gets into the business of kidnapping. Here, Patekar exhibits an uncanny ability to shift between being a quiet, menacing boss and a loving, fatherly-figure. His final scene with Ajay is a masterclass in acting.
Apaharan (2005): This was the first film in which Nana Patekar was directed by Prakash Jha. Patekar plays kingpin Tabrez Alam in the film who becomes the godfather of Ajay Devgn’s Ajay Shastri, an unemployed young man who gets into the business of kidnapping. Here, Patekar exhibits an uncanny ability to shift between being a quiet, menacing boss and a loving, fatherly-figure. His final scene with Ajay is a masterclass in acting.
Taxi no 9 2 11 (2006): Nobody plays a mean old grump like Nana Patekar — and Milan Luthria’s wacky 2006 film tapped the best out of the veteran actor in a role right up his alley. Playing Raghu, a short-tempered cab driver with a sweet wife and many sour secrets, Nana became the near-perfect encapsulation of the robust spirit and frustration that keeps a city like Mumbai going despite all the mayhem, while preserving its compassionate heart underneath.
Taxi no 9 2 11 (2006): Nobody plays a mean old grump like Nana Patekar — and Milan Luthria’s wacky 2006 film tapped the best out of the veteran actor in a role right up his alley. Playing Raghu, a short-tempered cab driver with a sweet wife and many sour secrets, Nana became the near-perfect encapsulation of the robust spirit and frustration that keeps a city like Mumbai going despite all the mayhem, while preserving its compassionate heart underneath.
Welcome (2007): Nana Patekar channels his reputation of often playing a volcanic gangster for comic brilliance in Anees Bazmee’s 2007 film.Playing the iconic Uday Shetty, a gangster who wants to hide his criminal past in order to get his sister (played by Katrina Kaif) married, and is also a closeted actor and a romantic, Patekar often parodies his established on-screen persona. There is something meta here, with him as a man who wants to leave behind his temperamental ways for greener pastures of some rom-com acting.
Welcome (2007): Nana Patekar channels his reputation of often playing a volcanic gangster for comic brilliance in Anees Bazmee’s 2007 film.Playing the iconic Uday Shetty, a gangster who wants to hide his criminal past in order to get his sister (played by Katrina Kaif) married, and is also a closeted actor and a romantic, Patekar often parodies his established on-screen persona. There is something meta here, with him as a man who wants to leave behind his temperamental ways for greener pastures of some rom-com acting.
Raajneeti (2010): In Prakash Jha’s political-thriller which is a triumvirate between The Godfather, Congress-party’s political history and the Mahabharata, Nana Patekar plays the Lord Krishna-like charioteer to Ranbir Kapoor’s Arjuna. He is often calm, composed and scheming, patiently observing how each piece is moving on the chessboard. This is Ranbir’s first nuanced role and Patekar playing his on-screen mentor gives the former’s character more gravitas.
Raajneeti (2010): In Prakash Jha’s political-thriller which is a triumvirate between The Godfather, Congress-party’s political history and the Mahabharata, Nana Patekar plays the Lord Krishna-like charioteer to Ranbir Kapoor’s Arjuna. He is often calm, composed and scheming, patiently observing how each piece is moving on the chessboard. This is Ranbir’s first nuanced role and Patekar playing his on-screen mentor gives the former’s character more gravitas.
Shagird (2011): Nana Patekar’s bad cop Hanumant Singh in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s crime-thriller seems to be a spiritual successor to his character Sadhu Agashe from Ab Tak Chhappan. Patekar plays the two-timing policeman with brief smiles and subtle nods. His corrupt cop pits gangs against each other as he walks away with the cash. It’s engaging to see Hanumant scheme his way out of situations till his time runs out. Like every dog, even every smartass has his day.
Shagird (2011): Nana Patekar’s bad cop Hanumant Singh in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s crime-thriller seems to be a spiritual successor to his character Sadhu Agashe from Ab Tak Chhappan. Patekar plays the two-timing policeman with brief smiles and subtle nods. His corrupt cop pits gangs against each other as he walks away with the cash. It’s engaging to see Hanumant scheme his way out of situations till his time runs out. Like every dog, even every smartass has his day.
Natsamrat (2016): In Mahesh Manjrekar's film, Nana Patekar reprised one of the most iconic Marathi theatre roles -- an ageing theatre legend who faces an expected crisis and rejection from his own family -- to near-perfection.
Natsamrat (2016): In Mahesh Manjrekar's film, Nana Patekar reprised one of the most iconic Marathi theatre roles -- an ageing theatre legend who faces an expected crisis and rejection from his own family -- to near-perfection.
Kaala (2018): In another one-for-the-books casting coup, Nana Patekar played the villain opposite Rajinikanth's saviour in Kaala, dubbing in Tamil for himself, wearing all-white clothes and delivering a chilling performances as a politician whose attire hid his intent.
Kaala (2018): In another one-for-the-books casting coup, Nana Patekar played the villain opposite Rajinikanth's saviour in Kaala, dubbing in Tamil for himself, wearing all-white clothes and delivering a chilling performances as a politician whose attire hid his intent.
O’ Romeo (2026): In Vishal Bhardwaj’s romantic-thriller, Nana Patekar does a rerun of the corrupt cops he has played over the years. He returns in his dark blue polo tees and jeans to play a trigger-happy policeman who has Shahid Kapoor’s bad boy lover under his thumb. Everybody’s a gangster until…
O’ Romeo (2026): In Vishal Bhardwaj’s romantic-thriller, Nana Patekar does a rerun of the corrupt cops he has played over the years. He returns in his dark blue polo tees and jeans to play a trigger-happy policeman who has Shahid Kapoor’s bad boy lover under his thumb. Everybody’s a gangster until…
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