Mumbai, Oct 8 (PTI) Filmmaker Aditya Sarpotdar says he never imagined his upcoming horror-comedy “Shakti Shalini” would be Nana Patekar’s last film and will now ensure it serves as a fitting “tribute” to one of Indian cinema’s finest actors.
“Shakti Shalini”, the next title of Maddock Films’ popular horror comedy universe, will posthumously feature Patekar alongside Aneet Padda of “Saiyaara” fame.
According to Sarpotdar, the actor, who passed away in the early hours of Thursday after suffering a heart attack in Goa, had completed shooting for the movie in May.
He revealed that Patekar had spoken to him about 10 days ago, seeking an update on the film’s post-production, and was looking forward to watching the movie.
“I never expected that ‘Shakti Shalini’ will be his last film. I’m deeply saddened that this will be his last work. I never thought that he would suddenly step away in this way. I’m unable to process what has actually happened. It (film) is going to be a tribute to one of the best actors of our cinema,” Sarpotdar told PTI on phone from Berlin.
The “Munjya” director, who is also a family friend of the celebrated actor, shared that he had approached Patekar twice for two of his earlier Marathi films, but things did not materialise.
“For him the script was the most important thing. If he liked the script, he would do the film; if not, then he wouldn’t. I had written those two films keeping him in mind, and there’s no replacement for him in Marathi cinema. He wasn’t excited about it (film) and hence it didn’t happen.”
The director recalled narrating the script of “Shakti Shalini” to Patekar at his farmhouse in Pune, after which the actor immediately agreed to join the project.
“He liked the story, his role, Aneet’s role and the world that we were creating as well as the things we are talking about in the film. He was excited about ‘Shakti Shalini’. We rather stayed for a few days at his farmhouse and had discussions and jammed over the script. He liked having a collaborative process,” he said, without divulging details about Patekar’s role in the movie.
“He wouldn’t watch every film but he was aware about the horror-comedy universe, he had liked what we had made (‘Stree’, ‘Munjya’). He only had good things to talk about it,” the director added.
Working with the 75-year-old actor turned out to be an enriching experience for Sarpotdar, who described Patekar as a “power house of a talent” and “childlike” person.
“He was always excited and inquisitive to know newer things, like he was interested to know about VFX, the thought process of the young actors and technicians, their working style, etc,” he said.
Speaking about Patekar’s well-known outspoken nature and temper on the sets, Sarpotdar said he was occasionally reprimanded by the actor but never took it to heart.
“Yes, of course, he yelled at me. He would yell ‘haq se’. He wanted everyone to put their best foot forward. He was a senior and experienced actor, and he hds a point of view. He would want to express that, talk, discuss things, which he believed was good for the film and the filmmaker,” he said.
According to the filmmaker, Patekar’s anger never lasted long.
“…Within five minutes he would come back, either pat me on the back, feed me something or hug me. That was the most endearing thing about him. You would automatically forget that he had yelled at you,” he said.
“Shakti Shalini”, produced by Dinesh Vijan via his banner Maddock Films, is reportedly expected to arrive in theatres in March 2027.
In addition to this film, Patekar will also be seen in the Shraddha Kapoor-starrer “Eetha”, slated for release in December 2026, and director Anant Mahadevan’s “The Confession of Mary”. PTI KKP RB AMJ NB
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