Story Content

In a wake-up call interview on a recent podcast, longtime actor Nana Patekar has confessed to having a heated argument with Pankaj Tripathi over the latter playing the role of Kala in the 2024 film. Nana acknowledged that he was very angry about the character being depicted this way and the outcry that it got thereafter due to its perceived undiverse and insensitive nature.

When I was asked about this, I told Pankaj straight out: 'If you ever take such roles again, I will beat you.' "I meant it, Nana," replied, and I thought Pankaj was using his talent in a false and bad role. The older actor pointed out his protective nature to Jeff, the younger talent, and went ahead to explain that he later approached Pankaj and privately talked to him so that he would make prudent choices in future productions.

The story, related during debates about the responsibility of actors and their choices of scripts, went viral within several hours, and the simple way Nana's mentorship was discussed was praised by the fans. Pankaj, who is versatile in his projects, such as Mirzapur and Mimi, has not yet made any public remarks, but the tale highlights the connection and sometimes rough affection between the respected seniors and young aspirers of Bollywood.