‘Swear on your mom’: Nana Patekar didn’t want to hear Welcome story, here’s how Anees Bazmee convinced him to play Uday Shetty. Watch

Veteran actor Nana Patekar passed away at the age of 75 on October 8, leaving behind a legacy of some of the most iconic roles and performances in Indian cinema. While he was known for playing gritty, intense characters, often portraying the quintessential angry man troubled by the country’s realities, Nana also had a terrific comic side. He made audiences laugh with his impeccable comic timing in films such as Welcome and Welcome Back. However, not many know how the actor came on board Welcome and what convinced him to play the unforgettable Uday Shetty.

During an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show Season 2, filmmaker Anees Bazmee revealed how he convinced Nana Patekar to essay the role of Uday in Welcome. He said he had always been a fan of Nana and believed that whenever the veteran actor took up a comedy role, he would excel and show audiences how comedy was meant to be done. Anees also recalled his hilarious conversation with Nana over the phone. He said, “I called him and told him I want to meet you. He replied, ‘Kai ko? (Why?)’ I told him that I want to narrate a film to you.”

However, when Anees went to Nana’s house to narrate the film, the veteran actor told him, “I don’t want to listen to the story, you swear on your mom that this film is right for me and I should do it.” Anees, however, insisted that Nana read the script and went on to narrate the story to him for nearly three hours.

However, when Anees went to Nana’s house to narrate the film, the veteran actor told him, “I don’t want to listen to the story, you swear on your mom that this film is right for me and I should do it.” Anees, however, insisted that Nana read the script and went on to narrate the story to him for nearly three hours.

Anees revealed that Nana hugged him after hearing the narration and told him, “Main kacchi mitti hai, tere set pe aayega, jis roop mein dhalna hai dhaal lena (I’m like wet clay. I’ll come to your set, and you can mould me into whatever form you want).” Anees added that while people often say Nana had a temper and was difficult to work with, he found the veteran actor to be one of the easiest actors to work with.

Nana Patekar’s performance as Uday Shetty in Welcome (2007) remains one of the most memorable comic turns of his career. Directed by Anees Bazmee, the film saw Nana step away from the intense, serious roles he was often associated with and embrace comedy. As Uday, Nana played a feared underworld don who desperately wants to get his sister Sanjana married into a respectable family. Uday could intimidate almost anyone, but became helpless and increasingly frustrated when it came to his sister’s love life.

Nana’s chemistry with Anil Kapoor, who played his partner-in-crime Majnu Bhai, became the heart of the film. Their constant arguments and exaggerated reactions won over the internet and made their characters iconic. Uday Shetty’s lines such as “Control, Uday, control” and “Kya karun, maar bhi nahi sakta isse, pyaar jo karta hai mujhse” became part of popular culture.

The film, which also featured Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Katrina Kaif and Anil Kapoor in lead roles, emerged as a huge box office success. Nana was also a part of the film’s sequel, Welcome Back, but didn’t feature in the recent film of the franchise, Welcome To The Jungle.

On October 8, Nana was brought to the hospital around 4.30 am and was declared dead by 5.30 am. Despite attempts to revive him, including cardiac massage for 45 minutes to an hour, he could not be saved, the doctor from Manipal Hospital revealed.

The doctor also revealed that Nana had messaged a friend at around 2.30am saying that he was not feeling well. The friend did not see the message immediately as it was nighttime but later called him and went to the actor’s residence at around 4am. By then, Nana was sweating and gradually becoming unconscious. His caretaker was subsequently sent to the hospital in an ambulance.

A police case was then filed as it was a medico-legal case, and his body was taken to Goa Medical College for a post-mortem examination. His friends and caretaker were with him at the time, while his family was not present. Nana is survived by his wife, Neelkanti, and son, Malhar Patekar. The veteran actor also had two brothers, Ashok and Dilip Patekar.

…Read MoreRiya Sharma is a content producer at Hindustan Times who lives and breathes entertainment. If there’s gossip making noise in Bollywood or a reality show moment breaking the internet, chances are she’s already writing about it. She loves digging out the juiciest stories, spotting viral pegs and turning it into easy-to-read content. A journalism graduate from IP University, Riya began her career as a social media executive, where she learned the art of grabbing attention in a scroll-heavy world. But her love for showbiz soon pulled her into entertainment journalism, because for her, it’s always been entertainment, entertainment and more entertainment. An artist at heart, Riya has a deep passion for acting, music and dance, which shapes how she watches and writes about films and reality shows. She loves sharing her views and reviews, especially when something excites, surprises or completely disappoints her. A hardcore reality show fan, Riya enjoys tracking every twist, task and meltdown, and breaking them down for readers who can’t get enough of high-voltage drama. Movies are equally close to her heart, whether it’s a big theatrical release or a binge-worthy OTT series, she’s always watching, and analysing what’s worth the time. She loves talking to celebrities, asking questions that go beyond the usual. When she’s not working, she’s either glued to a new web series, hunting for underrated thrillers on OTT platforms, or rewatching iconic Bollywood moments. Read Less