'Your intensity, laughter...': SRK pens emotional tribute to Nana Patekar
What's the story
Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan has paid a heartfelt tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar, who passed away on Thursday. In an emotional post, Khan remembered Patekar as "a mentor, a teacher, a critic, and a friend." He recalled their first meeting and the years of affection, arguments, conversations, and carrom games they shared.
First meeting
'Hero ki tarah baal mat bana...tu actor hai'
Khan recalled, "When I first met him, out of awe and awkwardness I fiddled with my hair."
"He slapped my hand away and said, 'Hero ki tarah Baal mat bana... tu actor hai (Don't style your hair like a hero... you are an actor).'"
"He didn't flatter you. He didn't tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana."
Twitter Post
See Khan's post here
When I first met
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) October 8, 2026him, out of awe and awkwardness I fiddled with my hair. He slapped my hand away and said 'hero ki tarah Baal mat bana...tu actor hai'!
He didn't flatter you. He didn't tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana.… pic.twitter.com/fRAhE3Olk2
Affection
'He always had a strange way of showing affection'
Khan also remembered Patekar's unique way of showing affection.
He wrote, "He always had a strange way of showing affection. He would shout at you first, and then somewhere between the third or fourth insult, you realized you were being hugged."
"He loved me, and I loved him back."
"Nana, your intensity, laughter, madness, and love will always stay with us."
Unfulfilled wishes
'Wish we had time to have more conversations...'
Khan expressed regret that they didn't have more time together.
He wrote, "I just wish we had time to have more conversations, another argument, another cup of tea and a game of carrom."
He also remembered one of Patekar's memorable lines: "Hero banne ke chakkar mein actor mat khona (Don't lose the actor in the pursuit of becoming a hero)."
"May your soul rest in peace, Nana, and Allah bless you. The Heavens will be blessed to have you."
Filmography
Khan and Patekar's collaborations over the years
Khan and Patekar have appeared together in several memorable films.
Their collaborations include Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992), King Uncle (1993), and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994).
Meanwhile, Patekar passed away due to a cardiac episode in his home in Goa. He was 75.