Media Coverage | 12-10-2026
His personality embodied the energy of a mountain stream, the vast expanse of
the Ganges and the unfathomable depth of the ocean, all at once
The stage for the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year award ceremony that day was truly unique. The then chief minister Eknath Shinde and then deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis were facing questions from Nana Patekar and me. Suddenly, Nana Patekar asked Eknath Shinde a question that the entire country always wants to ask politicians, but never dares to. Nana’s question was: “Do we, as voters, have any value?” Devendra Fadnavis gave a very balanced answer: “Our value is determined by your trust, and if your value diminishes, how can ours remain?”
This was Nana’s greatest trait. He had the courage to ask questions with absolute candour, anywhere and at any time. Whether it was the Lokmat Maharashtrian of the Year award ceremony, the Lokmat Sarpanch award ceremony or any other meeting, I always witnessed Nana’s innate restlessness for the common man. His question to the chief minister expressed this very restlessness. This restlessness has also been visible in his plays and the cinematic characters he portrayed. In fact, characters were crafted and dialogues were written keeping his personality in mind. How significant is it that Nana not only played these restless characters on screen, but also lived his private life with that exact same restlessness? He graced the Lokmat Sarpanch award ceremony as the chief guest, where we had an extensive conversation. Appreciating Lokmat’s initiative to encourage village panchayats, he underlined that this is an important project, saying, “If weakness persists at the grassroots level, how can the country move forward on the path of development?”
He carried a fire within him regarding the plight of Maharashtra’s farmers and their suicides. I have learned that in his final days, he personally contributed Rs 50 lakh to provide Rs 2.50 lakh to each of the farmers’ families! Those who knew Nana closely are aware that along with being an actor, he was associated with various social initiatives. But whenever he got a break from work, he would head straight to his village, where he was simply a farmer. He lived farming and therefore, deeply understood the pain of farmers.
At first glance, Nana Patekar’s personality appeared very stern. He even wrote a poem on this very sternness. Even if you have read it before, read it once again:
Main hoon kadakpan
Main sachchai ki reedh mein hoon, jazbaat ki bheed mein hoon,
Anushasan ki ragon mein hoon, aadarshon ke dhaagon mein hoon,
Kahin ravaiye mein hoon, toh kahin aadaton mein hoon,
Kahin wajood mein hoon, to kahin shakhsiyat mein hoon,
Woh hi kadakpan, jo neki mein umadta hai, iraadon mein jhalakta hai,
Baheke ko sanvaarta hai, vardi par nikharta hai!
Nana fully embodied the very sternness he described as shining on a uniform. After the Kargil War, when I learned that Nana Patekar had actually reached the battlefield, my heart was filled with deep reverence for him. I found out that prior to his film Prahaar, he had undergone three years of training with the Army, yet he never publicised it. Indeed, when the Kargil War broke out, he immediately sought permission to go to the battlefront. When permission was not granted, he requested the then defence minister George Fernandes, put on the uniform, picked up an AK-47 and went straight to the border to teach the enemy a lesson. Had it been anyone else in Nana’s place, they would have publicised it extensively, but he kept his distance from publicity. This was Nana’s unique trait. He never boasted about his social welfare work either. In the truest sense, he was a Karmaveer, a champion of action that is.
Most of his fans are probably not aware that he was also a connoisseur of classical music. He understood ragas and never missed an opportunity to listen to classical music. Nana cooked exceptionally well and personally prepared meals for guests at his village home. During a conversation, Nana had invited me to visit his village. I, too, deeply wished to visit his village and relish a meal cooked by Nana himself, but little did I know that this opportunity would never come. Nana, you will be deeply missed. The entire world feels the absence of a self-respecting soul. Nana, my words are trembling as I say goodbye to you!
So, will Trump impose
tariffs on America too..!
When I heard the news that US President Donald Trump is going to import diesel from Russia to fulfil America’s fuel requirements, my heart skipped a beat! What kind of desperate need arose for this? Won’t this affect his stature? I have no concern for Russian President Vladimir Putin because he wants to sell oil across the globe anyway. The problem lies with America. Trump has just signed an order stating that additional tariffs will be imposed on countries purchasing oil from Russia. So the question is: Will Trump now impose additional tariffs on America too? But then a thought struck me that Trump is the boss. And any system runs on just two rules: Rule 1: The boss is always right. Rule 2: If you disagree with the boss, please read Rule 1!
