New Delhi:
Nana Patekar is known for his intense performances and commitment to realism on screen. Looking back on her experience working with him in the 1997 film Yeshwant, actress Madhoo Shah recalled a scene in which the veteran actor slapped her during a take. Madhoo said she was so taken aback by the moment that she instinctively slapped him back.
In an interview with Hindi Rush, Madhoo said, “With Nana Patekar, I became a method actor. There was a scene where I was supposed to use glycerin. He didn’t let me use it. He was like, ‘Feel it, you should have natural tears.’ But I couldn’t do it. What he did then was slap me for real. He slapped me so hard that I naturally had tears in my eyes.”
Madhoo admitted the sudden slap left her furious as it was never rehearsed. “I was extremely mad at him because we had done rehearsals and he hadn’t done anything like that. His sudden slap shocked me. And I am so short-tempered that I slapped him back. He hit me and my reflex was to hit him back,” she added.
Though unintended, the intense moment ultimately served the film. Madhoo explained that the sequence was among the most important ones in Yeshwant and director Anil Mattoo had allocated a full day for its shoot.
She said, “It was the most crucial scene of Yeshwant, and director Anil Mattoo had dedicated an entire day to shoot it. Because everything happened so naturally, we wrapped it up in half a day. Nana was like, ‘After this scene, what more shots do you want? Finish. Scene over.’ I became a method actor with him.”
Even after the incident, Madhoo said Nana Patekar wasn’t rude to her. He just pointed out issues when he thought she could do better. “He only showed displeasure when he wanted me to improve my performance. He would get upset when I used glycerin or stepped out of the character’s mood after a shot. I am a switch-on, switch-off actor, but Nanaji was against it. He believed in living the character you are playing,” she mentioned.
Directed by Anil Mattoo, Yeshwant features Nana Patekar in the titular role, alongside Madhoo and Atul Agnihotri. The story revolves around an honest undercover narcotics police officer who lives a modest life and supports his wife, Ragini, in her studies to become a deputy collector. Yeshwant’s principles make him a target for a powerful drug lord, Salim Shaikh.
