Muzaffar Ali still remembers the moment he spotted Nana Patekar’s performance in the Marathi version of the play 3 Penny Opera and instantly decided to cast him in Gaman.
“He was a no-nonsense guy, and he did what he thought was right. He was like a younger brother to me; he was a great pillar of strength. So, we were not like an actor-director kind of relationship. He was so good with Smita, I thought Smita and he would make a great combination on screen,” Ali told PTI.
“We were all youngsters. It was his first film; it was my first film. I borrowed money from NMDC. Fortunately, I was working with Air India. So, I had a job. I was not really a struggler. But he didn’t come to me for money. We became friends.”
“He felt he could enjoy and relate to many more things that I was interested in… whatever I could pay him, I paid him. He was just a person who was passionate about discovering things, getting to know people, and doing things. And then he found his way. Both of us were lucky to have met when we met,” Ali said.
