Shah Rukh Khan and Nana Patekar
| Photo Credit: PTI and Special Arrangement
Shah Rukh Khan took to social media to pen a long note to remember his bond with veteran actor Nana Patekar, who passed on Thursday (October 8, 2026) morning after suffering from cardiac arrest.
Shah Rukh posted a still from their film, Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) and recounted the moment when he met Nana for the first time. “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,” wrote Shah Rukh.
Describing the qualities of the veteran actor, Shah Rukh said that he was “straightforward, rough and honest”. “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 realised you were being hugged. He loved me and I loved him back,” added Shah Rukh.
Calling him a “mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend”, Shah Rukh recalled Nana’s strong hand at playing carom. “Nana your intensity, laughter, madness and love will always stay with us. I just wish we had time to have more conversations, another argument, another cup of tea and a game of carrom.You have left a void not only in the world of cinema but in the hearts of all Indians and the world. All I can say is, I will miss you dearly and carry your words in my heart till the end of time ‘Hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona’,” wrote Shah Rukh.
Ending the note, Shah Rukh said, “May your soul rest in peace Nana and Allah bless you. The Heavens will be blessed to have you… a masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion. Love you and miss you dearly!! Too soon my Hero Actor! RIP.”
Shah Rukh and Nana also worked together in Shakti: The Power (2002).
Published – October 08, 2026 05:53 pm IST
