Nana Patekar performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda
Nana Patekar performance in Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Parinda

In a recent discourse during his guest appearance on the musical contest show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Vidhu Vinod Chopra shared some tumultuous events from the production days of “Parinda”, particularly about handling Nana Patekar’s unpredictable mood swings.

Nana Patekar’s role in “Parinda”, directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, is often cited as one of the pinnacle performances of his career.

However, the collaboration wasn’t without its difficulties, as Chopra elaborated in his narrative. An article by Indian Express captured why he found himself in a position where he ripped Nana Patekar’s shirt during a shoot.

What Vidhu Vinod Chopra Shared

Vidhu reminisced, “I had watched Nana in ‘Purush’, and I must mention, back then, I was someone who avoided swearing. I prided myself on being a well-mannered individual from Kashmir.

Nana, however, changed that demeanor. Working with him meant facing a barrage of curses whenever I would direct a scene. Eventually, I found myself reciprocating to manage directing him.”

Nana declared he was too exhausted to proceed

Vidhu continued, “In one particular scene, following the demise of his character’s wife, Nana had to show he was tearful… We had been filming throughout the day, and by evening, an exhausted Nana declared he couldn’t continue and intended to leave.

I retorted, ‘Fine, but you’ll have to cover the day’s expenses then’. This led to an exchange of insults and in the heat of the moment, I ended up tearing his shirt. The on-site police commented on the irony of their presence to ensure our safety, yet here we were, clashing amongst ourselves.”

After “Parinda”, a movie that featured stars like Madhuri Dixit, Anil Kapoor, and Jackie Shroff, and won several accolades, marking its significance in Indian cinema, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Nana Patekar never reunited for another project.