CID's Shivaji Satam recalls Nana Patekar fighting for his pay, stood by him during wife’s cancer battle: ‘Supported me like a real brother’

Veteran actor Shivaji Satam remembered Nana Patekar at a condolence meeting held in his honour. The gathering, titled ‘athvanitle Nana (Nana in our memories), was held at P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex in Prabhadevi in Mumbai, where several members of the film industry came together to remember the actor and the impact he had on their lives.

Shivaji remembered Nana and it meant looking back at nearly 40 years of friendship, countless personal memories and the support he received from the actor at crucial moments in his life. He recalled how Nana encouraged him to take up Hindi films and even stepped in when he felt his friend was not being paid enough.

What Shivaji Satam said

Speaking at the prayer meet, Shivaji Satam, known as ACP Pradyuman from CID TV Show, said, “Nana passed away so suddenly. When I heard the news, I honestly couldn’t believe it. I have countless memories with Nana. We had known each other for nearly 40 years, and it was because of him that I found my footing in Hindi cinema. He was the one who pulled me into Hindi films. He convinced me, saying, ‘You should do this. You must do it.’”

Satam recalled that Nana was instrumental in getting him his first Hindi film, Yashwant. “My first film was Yashwant. The producer called me because there was a police officer’s role in the film, but I wasn’t ready to take it up at the time. The producer told me that Nana Patekar, my friend, had recommended my name. When I refused, the producer called Nana, who then spoke to me in his own way and convinced me. Eventually, after saying no several times, I agreed,” he revealed.

He said he was initially reluctant to take up the role of a police officer, but Nana personally convinced him to give it a shot. Their conversation did not end with the film, though. When Nana later learnt how much Satam had been paid, he was upset that his friend had not consulted him before agreeing to the amount. “After the shoot was over, I met Nana again, and he asked me about the payment I had received. When I told him the amount, he got really angry. He said, ‘You should have asked me at least once!’ He then scolded me, asking why I hadn’t consulted him before accepting the payment. After that, he called the producers himself,” the actor further said.

Nana Patekar confronted the producers over his payment

Satam went on to share how Nana reacted when he learnt about the remuneration his friend had received. Even though Shivaji had asked him not to get involved, Nana was not willing to let the matter go. He wanted to make sure Satam was treated fairly and took it upon himself to speak to the producers.

“I had specifically told him not to question the producers or speak to them about it. But Nana wouldn’t listen. He made the producers stand for two hours, just like teachers used to make us stand in school. The poor producer stood there without saying a word,” he revealed.

Nana Patekar stood by Shivaji Satam during his wife’s cancer battle

Shivaji’s memories of Nana were not limited to their work together. One of the most difficult periods came when his wife was diagnosed with cancer while he was shooting for Ghulam-E-Musthafa. Unsure about how he would manage the film alongside his family’s medical crisis, he considered stepping away from the project. Nana, however, made sure he did not have to deal with everything alone.

Satam recalled how Nana spoke to the people involved in the film and helped arrange a schedule that allowed him to return home at a reasonable hour. He went onto reveal, “I loved Nana dearly because he did more for me than even my own brother might have. My wife was diagnosed with cancer while we were shooting for the film Ghulam-E-Musthafa. I told Nana that I wouldn’t be able to continue with the film, but he refused to accept that. He spoke to the director and everyone else involved. The next day, our director, Partho Ghosh, told me, ‘Come at 12 noon, and I’ll let you go by 8 pm.’ This was possible because of Nana. He made sure I was taken care of and supported me like a real brother. There are so many stories like this. He was an incredibly lovable person. Sometimes, he would suddenly call me and ask, ‘What are you doing? Come to the farm immediately!’ That was just the kind of person Nana was.”

About Nana Patekar’s death

Nana Patekar died on October 8 morning at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa. The autopsy report confirmed that he died of a heart attack, a senior doctor at the state-run Goa Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) said on Sunday.

According to the doctor, the veteran actor suffered a heart attack caused by a blood clot blocking the left main coronary artery, which supplies blood to a large part of the heart. The postmortem report cites the cause of death as “acute myocardial infarction due to left main coronary artery thrombosis secondary to atherosclerotic occlusive coronary artery disease, a natural cause of death”.