Few actors have given Hindi cinema as many memorable characters as Nana Patekar. He played Anna, the gangster in Parinda; Major Chauhan in Prahaar; Shivajirao Wagle in Tirangaa and Pratap Narayan Tilak in Krantiveer, a role that won him the National Film Award for Best Actor in 1995.
Perhaps his most iconic dialogue, however, came in Krantiveer: “Yeh Musalman ka khoon, yeh Hindu ka khoon… bata, ismein Musalman ka kaunsa, Hindu ka kaunsa, bata.” The line, delivered by Patekar’s Pratap Narayan Tilak, cuts through the Hindu-Muslim divide by asking a simple question: can blood be distinguished by religion?
Years later, Patekar made a successful switch to comedy, giving audiences the eccentric gangster Uday Shetty in Welcome. His performances were often defined as much by his voice and dialogue delivery as by the characters themselves.
The voice behind the characters
Patekar could turn an ordinary line into an iconic moment. Each character came with a voice. His delivery turned regular dialogues into iconic moments. Patekar never played villains or heroes. He played people with a grievance or a wound, and spoke as though he meant every word.
The “Ek machhar” speech from Yeshwant remains one of his most prominent performances. His Welcome dialogues, meanwhile, gave him an entirely different kind of popularity.
Even his off-screen moments have repeatedly gone viral. A video of him hitting a fan who approached him for a selfie in Varanasi drew mixed reactions online. Patekar later said the incident was part of a rehearsal for a scene in his film Journey.
Here are 10 of Nana Patekar’s most famous dialogues.
- “Dhanda Kishan, dhande mein koi kisi ka bhai nahi hota.”
Parinda (1989)
- “Pandra sau ki naukri karne wala, ek din tujhe dedh sau ka kafan pehnayega.”
Tirangaa (1993)
- “Apna toh usool hai, pehle laat, phir baat, uske baad mulaqat.”
Tirangaa (1993)
- “Aa gaye meri maut ka tamasha dekhne.”
Krantiveer (1994)
- “Kutte ki tarah jeene ki aadat padhi hai sabko.”
Krantiveer (1994)
- “Yeh Musalman ka khoon, yeh Hindu ka khoon… bata, ismein Musalman ka kaunsa, Hindu ka kaunsa, bata.
Krantiveer (1994)
- “Ek machhar saala aadmi ko hijda bana deta hai.”
Yeshwant (1997)
- “Hum sab system ka hissa hain.”
Ab Tak Chhappan (2004)
9. “Force kisi ke baap ki jagir nahi hai… force ki apni ek dignity hai…”
Ab Tak Chhappan 2 (2015)
10. “Bhagwan ka diya hua sab kuch hai, daulat hai, shaurat hai, izzat hai,” “Control, Uday, control,” “Aaloo lelo, kanda lelo,” and “Bhagwan ka diya hua sab kuch hai”
Welcome (2007)