Interview : Nana Patekar : I don’t like intellectual films or doing films just for awards!
Interacting with Nana Patekar is always an intriguing experience; his unfiltered candor and profound insights make every conversation memorable. He is hailed as an acting institution in himself. Nana Patekar has to his credit 3 National Awards as well as 4 Filmfare Awards. Our Sr Editor interacted with Nana Patekar as his new film #Vanvaas is releasing this week. Excerpts…..
Anil Sharmas Gadar 2 was an action film. Now he has come up with an emotional ‘Vanvaas’. Your views on the same?
Actually ‘Gadar’ too was a family-oriented film. The thing is that the background of ‘Gadar’ was slightly violent since it portrayed the tension between India and Pakistan. Naturally, in this kind of a film, there will be action and fight sequences. It is not like ‘Vanvaas’ does not have any action sequences. In this film, a different kind of action has been presented. In this movie, storytelling will work on two levels. It will make you laugh and will also make you cry. If you recall the film ‘Anand’, all of us in the audience knew that the hero would be dying soon. But, the film would make us laugh, would make us cry and would also force us to think about how to face such challenges in our own lives. So, I feel that a film does not belong to just one genre. Whether a film will have action sequences or not depends on the background of the film. Action films will keep coming, but how many can one watch? Now, the background of the film ‘The Equalizer’ was emotional. The kind of background that they chose was violent and it required action sequences. If you wish to tell the story of the Mahabharata, you cannot exclude the violence associated with it. But, the Mahabharata is made up of stories that are related to our lives. There is not one story in the Mahabharata that does not actually occur in our real lives. When it comes to the story of the Ramayana, it does not have much violence. There is some violence at the end, but the rest of the story speaks about values. The film ‘Godfather’ is also similar to the Mahabharata. In place of the Pandavas and Kauravas, there are 5 different families in ‘Godfather’. There are characters such as Michael Corleone, Sonny Corleone, Tom Hagen and others that resemble the Mahabharata very closely. So, we package the same stories in new and different ways and present them to you. And you all feel that a wonderful film has been made, but the stories are the same.
What life lesson Vanvaas offers?
The problem in cities is that we are running behind so many things that we just don’t have time. We don’t even get a chance to look at the sky. And the tall buildings have also blocked the little sky that was visible to us. We don’t have time. Our parents kept doing everything for us; they never expected that we would thank them. When my parents were bringing me up, they never felt that their young son should thank them. They felt that it was their responsibility as parents and they kept fulfilling it. But when one starts aging, they expect their children to come up to them and say, “Baba, how are you? You are fine, right? How is your health? Did you eat something?” All that is needed are these few words of affection. We have forgotten to touch each other, both physically and mentally. But, this film will remind us about these things. This is what life is about.
Are health issues like Dementia discussed in ‘Vanvaas’?
No, actually Dementia has not been depicted. Now, I am 75 years old. What happens is after a certain age, people including myself, face difficulties in remembering things. And gradually, that is bound to happen. Metaphorically, a layer of dust settles on the mind. The body and mind go through wear and tear and we have to believe that it is a part of our life. When we were young, we didn’t have answers to all the questions asked by our parents and teachers. So, we started learning slowly. Similarly, we started forgetting slowly. We can’t remember things immediately. But, you can’t call this condition, Dementia.
’12th Fail’ and ‘Laapataa Ladies’ were highly appreciated by the audience. Do you think ‘Vanvaas’ will also receive a similar kind of appreciation?
Be it cricket, tennis, badminton or any other sport, the players play with so much ease that we feel the game is very easy. But in order to play with that ease, the players might have worked hard throughout their lives. So, the more a film seems natural and easy, the more difficult it is to make. For the film ‘Vanvaas’, we have not even taken the support of any crutches such as dance numbers, action sequences or inappropriate songs. When a film touches the audience’s heart, in spite of this, there has to be something worthwhile in it. I never go for promotions. I don’t like to say, “My film is excellent. Please watch it.” If the film is good, people will watch it; if not, they won’t – it’s that simple. In my younger days, 5 – 6 posters or hoardings were put up to announce that a film was releasing. If the audiences saw the poster of an actor they liked, they would go to watch the film and the theatres would be full. My films ‘Ankush’, ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Tiranga’, ‘Agni Sakshi’, ‘Ghulam-E-Musthafa’ were all successful. But in today’s times, there is a new trend where an actor has to promote their film. Then again, I don’t understand why the audience is requested to clap when someone comes on stage. If people wish to clap, they will; if not, they won’t. Once, when Charlie Chaplin had come on stage, people kept clapping for several minutes and they didn’t let him speak. Being a simple man, he kept looking at the crowd and he teared up. That is what he had earned in his life. So, if I have a connection with the audience, they will watch my film. When they come to know that my film is releasing, they can decide whether to watch it or not.
It is said that Nana Patekar gives a lot of creative inputs to his directors. Is it true?
Actually, I interfere quite a lot in the director’s work. Also, if one is involved in the film from the time of script writing, they will not have any difficulty once they reach the set. If you see, #UtkarshSharma is younger than me but we are both artists. Once we are on set, the concept of a senior and a junior doesn’t exist. Again, the camera doesn’t show us as big stars or small stars; it only shows us as the film’s characters. And, I was very happy because I never had to say anything to Utkarsh. Even Anil (Sharma) wouldn’t interfere in his process. But, even if I was not in the scene, he would come and ask me, “Nana Ji, how would you do this scene?” And I would tell him to firstly, ask Anil how he wanted to shoot it. And then, Anil would give him some guidance. A director is like a navigator. A driver knows how to drive; but which direction to take, whether to go left, right or straight, whether to increase or decrease the speed are the instructions given by the navigator. And, that is all a director does. A director will not force their imagination of the character on the actor by telling them to speak, act and move in a certain way. So, working with Utkarsh was very easy for Anil as well. And, after studying and living in America for 4 and a half years, it is not easy to adapt to the situations here. But, Utkarsh has done a fantastic job. His character in the film is very dominating and the film shows the character’s transition from being a mischief-maker to becoming a good human being and finally turning into an emotional and sensible individual. The character faces whatever life throws at him and he evolves through these experiences. Utkarsh also picked up the local language Benarasi very well. Since I am a Maharashtrian and my mother tongue is Marathi, I dream in Marathi. If I have to do a Punjabi role, it will take me a lot of time to learn the language by reading, understanding and meeting the local people. So, considering that his mother tongue is Hindi, he picked up the language easily and fabulously. Even #SimratKaur did an excellent job. #AshwiniKalsekar and #ShrutiMarathe are also such amazing actors. All the actors in this film have done really well.
The audiences keep waiting for your movies but you have become very selective in terms of doing films. What is it that you look for in a script?
Why should I do a film if I don’t like the script? One will feel like eating only if the dish seems delicious, right? And as for the scripts, I listen to the narrations as a common man. If I like the script as a common man and if I feel that I myself would like to watch such a film, then I say, “Yes.” I don’t like intellectual films or doing films just for awards. At times, films are made only for intellectual people. But, I don’t like to limit my films to certain kinds of audiences. It should not be like that. Our films are supposed to be entertaining for everyone, be it small children or old people. Now, everyone likes ‘Welcome’. But, every film cannot belong to the same genre as ‘Welcome’. It was a comedy film and the only emotional part of ‘Welcome’ was – “Bhagwan ka diya sab kuch hai…daulat hai, shohrat hai, izzat hai. Bas, behen ki shaadi nahi ho rahi.” (Laughs…) But the emotional aspect that was absent in ‘Welcome’ is present in ‘Vanvaas’.
What do you have to say about the 3rd instalment of the ‘Welcome’ franchise?
Neither me nor Anil (Kapoor) are a part of the 3rd film. We took this decision because we did not like the film’s story. If I like a film’s script, I will do it; if not, I won’t. One should have the courage and the strength to say, “No.” If I agree to do a film wherein, I don’t like the script, I will only get money at the end of it. And I have earned enough money, how much more will I gather?
We came across a post on social media wherein, your name was featured alongside the late Mr. Ratan Tata Ji with regard to the silent donations given by you to the society. How do you feel about that?
Firstly, I think we should remove the word ‘donations’ from our vocabulary. When a river starts overflowing with water, we call it a flood. Now, the excess water should not remain in the river for such a long time that it breaks the dam. The water has to be released. Similarly, one cannot say that I am making ‘donations’. I have a flood of finances coming my way and I am releasing the excess money wherever there is need. And, the comparison that has been drawn between me and the late Mr. Ratan Tata is wrong. He was a great man. I just do small things here and there for my own happiness. Whatever work I do for the Naam Foundation, I do it for my own happiness. People tell me that I am doing great work for society, but there is nothing like that. I do whatever I like and I don’t think I have done anything that should be praised. If anyone wishes to give me an award for social work, they cannot award just me. Many people are involved in this work and all of them should be awarded. If someone wants to work for an award, it will be better for them not to work at all. And, I know that the reward I will receive is that the audiences will watch my films again and again.
Which one of your films is your favourite?
If siblings ask their parents to name their favourite child, the parents will not be able to do so. Parents love their children equally and they don’t have favourites. In a similar way, I don’t have a favourite film. While making ‘Vanvaas’, it was my favourite film. At the time of filming, I immerse myself completely in every project, and then I forget about it. We never think about the experiences that we had in the 4th Standard, right? We passed our 4th Standard, completed our schooling, went to college and moved ahead in life. So, we shouldn’t think about the past as it is already gone. Also, the decision on favourite films is made by the audience. Some might like ‘Welcome’, others might like ‘Krantiveer’ while a few people might like ‘Prahaar’. But, I had given my all during the making of these films. And actors usually don’t have favourite films. But the journey of each film’s making is important. The 50 days that I spent with the entire team while making ‘Vanvaas’ have become a part of my life. Films will be released in theatres and will be taken down after a few weeks. But the memories that I made on set will never leave me. So, I don’t have favourite films.
The film’s trailer emphasises that after a certain age, children should take care of their parents. And you, being a good son yourself, took great care of your mother. But, as a simple father, how did you crack the complex character in this film?
Yes, I took care of my mother but there is nothing great about this. We are in this world because of our parents and it is our duty to take care of them. We were 7 siblings. But when my mother breathed her last, I was the only son left as my 6 siblings had passed away before her. She passed away at the age of 99, just 1 year less than a century. She lost her husband, her children and her grandchild while she was alive. She experienced a lot of grief, but she didn’t keep thinking about the ones that she had lost. She would always think about the loved ones that she had, and she surrendered her life completely for them. She would never cry. So for the character in ‘Vanvaas’, I had an amazing reference – my mother. I kept recalling her throughout the film’s making. In this way, we can get the answer to each question if we have the inner drive to portray characters authentically. Being artists, we should go out into the world and see different people. Due to our fame, we might be mobbed for a few days. But after that, people will consider us as one among them and will meet us normally. The experiences that we gather while meeting the common man are the experiences that we portray in front of the camera, that’s all.
You have played so many intense and complex characters in films. Is there any character that impacted you or changed you as a human being?
More than my characters, the people that I have met in my life have had an impact on me. I like to travel by rickshaw. When I travel from one place to another by rickshaw, I get to listen to the driver’s story. For a few minutes, the drivers feel the pressure of Nana sitting behind them and they keep calling me Sir. But after some time, both of us come down to the same level and get comfortable. Then, they speak openly and I get to know about their situations and problems. One such driver was talking to me very joyfully. He said, “Sir, my parents had abandoned me in a dustbin when I was born. A family picked me up from the garbage and they adopted me. They worked as carpenters and they are the ones who brought me up. After I drop you, I will go home. Firstly, I will meet them and then, I will eat with them. They don’t eat anything without me.” This boy was an orphan, but there was no sorrow in his voice when he was speaking. He was telling me his story quite cheerfully. He had accepted the reality of his situation, overcome his difficulties and now, he treats the man who brought him up as his father. He has made peace with his life and he is not afraid of anyone now. He felt like telling me his story and I have never seen anyone like him in my life. These experiences help me to present my characters in a better way on screen. And then, when people with similar mindsets collaborate, storytelling becomes fun. When we have artists like Utkarsh, Simrat, #RajpalYadav and others, all performing wonderfully, the film is bound to be exceptional. Rajpal is an amazing artist but it is very sad that he has not received roles that match the kind of talent he has.
Q. Nana Ji, we recently saw an interview that featured you and #AnilKapoor. Is the bonding developed on the sets of ‘Welcome’ the reason behind the camaraderie shared by the two of you?
A. (Nana Patekar) No, I have known Anil (Kapoor) and shared friendship with him for quite some years now. I just called and asked him if he would join me for an interview / discussion. He immediately said “Yes” and asked me when to come. After the discussion, he said to me, “Nana, I felt very happy that you invited me for this discussion.” Whenever I achieve something, he is always ready to support me and cheer for me. And, we should all do that. In the future, if Anil (Sharma) makes a film that I am not a part of and he invites me for an event, I should go and I will go. If Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) was alive, I would say the same thing about him as well. He would abuse me a lot. After each sentence, he would add 3 cuss words while speaking to me. But, he was an amazing person.
We are in the era of sequels. So, will we get to see ‘Ab Tak Chhappan 3’?
A. (Nana Patekar) I don’t know, but it might happen. The only benefit of making sequels is that the characters are already established. People are familiar with the different types of characters. They know that a character that was violent in the first film will also be violent in the sequels. The makers don’t have to waste time in establishing anything and they can continue the story from where they left off in the previous film. But, if a new film is to be made, different things have to be established. So, whether ‘Ab Tak Chhappan 3’ will be made or not depends on the era we are in and the current trends. Also, I do not understand why people are highly obsessed with bloodshed and violence. Why is there a liking for violence in our society all of a sudden? Even my film ‘Prahaar’ portrayed bloodshed. But we have to understand one simple thing – when our soldiers attack during a war, it cannot be termed as violence. It is their duty and service towards the country and that was shown in ‘Prahaar’. But I don’t understand and I don’t like the unnecessary violence depicted in other films.
Q. Nowadays, OTT is gaining momentum but you have not done any project on OTT. Is there any specific reason for this?
A. (Nana Patekar) I don’t care about the platforms / mediums. I only do my work. Whether the project is a film, a T.V. serial or an OTT web series does not make any difference to me. I work on the projects that I like. Where the project has to be broadcasted is the decision of the makers.
Q. Being a director yourself, what is it about Anil Sharma’s direction that you liked?
A. (Nana Patekar) What I really liked about his direction is that he takes a small scene / moment and turns it into a meaningful and paramount experience on screen. On paper, the scene might seem ordinary. But, he will arrange an entire day of shoot. And we understand the reason for this decision once we reach on set. When we were shooting in Shimla, he showed me an ice hockey rink and told me that we would be shooting the film’s climax there. I was awestruck by the location. Anil’s (Sharma) problem is that he cannot make a film with a small budget. Now, we cannot do anything about the fact that he spends a lot of money (laughs…). But, the budget of a film does not determine its value. The content of a film determines whether it will be successful or not. That is why even in the case of ‘Laapataa Ladies’, everyone feels good after watching the film. It gives the viewers a sense of calm, composure as well as entertainment. It is such an amazing film. Similarly, we would feel good after watching Rishi (Kapoor) Da’s movies. His movies had such fantastic songs that we would spend the entire day just humming those melodies. We were so lucky that Lata (Mangeshkar) Didi, Asha (Bhosle) Didi, Manna Dey, Mukesh Sahab, Mohammed Rafi Sahab, Talat Mahmood Sahab and other artists made our lives very easy by giving us fabulous songs. Between shots, we would just sit together, sing
When you play a serious role, what do you do to come out of the character?
An actor has to learn how to switch on and switch off their characters. If not, the actor will go mad. If an actor is doing an emotional scene, and if they are crying bitterly even after the scene has been shot, then I don’t consider that individual as an actor. Actors should snap out of their characters immediately. Otherwise, the actor’s psyche will get damaged. After every shot, I have to become Nana again. The audience has the freedom to feel like the characters, cry bitterly and think about the characters even when they are at home. But as an actor playing a particular role, I have to keep coming out of it and going back into it. Then, the process of transition becomes easy. Many years ago, a Marathi film named ‘Sant Tukaram’ was made. Vishnupant Pagnis had played the role of Tukaram in the film. He was just not able to come out of the character. Throughout his life, he believed that he himself was Tukaram. If I sustain my character from ‘Ab Tak Chhappan’, I will shoot anyone and everyone I see. So, that can become a problem.
What is the plan for you after ‘Vanvaas’?
We have written another script for a film named ‘Pendulum’. But, before working on ‘Pendulum’, Anil (Sharma) will go back to making an action film.
You have also sung a song in this film. Did you sing naturally or did you use autotune?
Yes, I have sung a song for this film and everyone will have to bear with me. (Laughs)
By Keerti Kadam