By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Bollywood stalwart Shah Rukh Khan on Thursday remembered veteran actor Nana Patekar as a mentor, teacher, critic and friend, recalling how the actor’s blunt honesty and unconventional affection had shaped their relationship.
In an emotional Facebook post following Patekar’s death at 75, Khan recalled his first meeting with the actor, saying he was so awed and awkward that he began fiddling with his hair.
“He slapped my hand away and said, ‘hero ki tarah Baal mat bana…tu actor hai’!” Khan wrote.
For the superstar, that moment captured the essence of Patekar — a man who never flattered people or told them what they wanted to hear.
“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. Straightforward. Rough, honest and had the most beautiful smile,” Khan wrote.
Khan also recalled Patekar’s unusual 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 wrote, adding, “He loved me and I loved him back.”
The two actors shared screen space and a longstanding friendship, but Khan’s tribute went beyond their professional association. He described Patekar as a mentor and teacher as well as a critic and friend who was fiercely competitive at carrom. “He beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories,” Khan wrote.
Remembering Patekar’s intensity, laughter and “madness”, Khan said he wished they had more time together — for another conversation, another argument, another cup of tea and another game of carrom.
He said Patekar had left a void not only in cinema but also in the hearts of people across India and the world.
Khan ended his tribute by recalling another piece of advice from Patekar that he said he would carry with him forever: “hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona” — don’t lose the actor in the pursuit of becoming a hero.
“Too soon my Hero Actor!” Khan wrote, bidding farewell to the veteran performer and adding, “The Heavens will be blessed to have you… a masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion.”
Patekar died on Thursday at the age of 75 after suffering cardiac arrest at his home in Goa. His death has triggered an outpouring of tributes from across the film industry.