‘Tu actor hai’: Shah Rukh Khan recalls Nana Patekar’s blunt advice in emotional tribute
Mumbai/IBNS: Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan paid an emotional tribute to veteran actor Nana Patekar, recalling him as a "mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend" following his demise at his Goa home on Thursday.
Patekar died at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his residence in Goa.
Remembering his first meeting with Patekar, Khan recalled how the veteran actor had advised him to focus on acting rather than his image as a hero.
‘Tu actor hai’
Sharing a personal tribute, Shah Rukh recalled an early interaction with Nana Patekar when the veteran actor slapped his hand away as he tried to style his hair.
Patekar reportedly told him, "Hero ki tarah baal mat bana... tu actor hai", urging him not to get caught up in the trappings of stardom.
Khan said Patekar had a unique way of expressing affection, often disguising warmth behind his blunt and intimidating manner.
"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," Khan wrote.
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'! 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. 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. He was a mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend who beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories. 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' 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 Khan (@iamsrk) October 8, 2026
‘A mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend’
The superstar described Patekar as someone who constantly challenged and guided him.
"He was a mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend who beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories," Khan wrote.
Khan also remembered Patekar's straightforward advice, particularly his warning: "Hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona."
Read: Nana Patekar (1951-2026): The Voice That Never Needed a Microphone
‘I will miss you dearly’
Remembering the veteran actor's intensity, humour and affection, Khan said Patekar's presence would remain with him.
"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," he wrote.
"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,'" Khan added.
Khan and Patekar worked together in two released films: Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman (1992) which was one of SRK's early films and Shakti: The Power (2002).
In Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman, Nana Patekar and SRK shared screen space in this romantic comedy, with Patekar playing an important supporting role.
In Shakti: The Power, Nana Patekar played a major role, while Shah Rukh Khan appeared in a supporting role. The film also starred Karisma Kapoor and Sanjay Kapoor.
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