Veteran Bollywood stars Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor, known for a long-running feud since their film 'Parinda' (1989), have apparently mended their relationship over the years. In an older interview, Patekar listed Kapoor among his close friends in the industry, indicating a thaw in their icy relationship.
Nana Patekar on Being Friends with Anil Kapoor
During a conversation with The Lallantop in 2024, Patekar opened up about his closest friends in Bollywood, including Anil Kapoor. He said they are 'now' friends, and when asked to elaborate, he replied, 'Woh (Anil Kapoor) bakayda phone karte hain na' (He calls me regularly). Patekar added, 'Nice chap, aaj bhi itna mehnat se kaam karta hai tana acha kaam karta hai animal mein kitna behtarin kaam kiya dekha maine bola "maine teri anil mal dekhi" "nana nana kaise laga yaar kaise laga" maine kaha bahut acha kya bahut restrained, bahut acha kaam kiya' (Nice chap, even today he works so hard, he does a good job. I saw how well he performed in 'Animal'. I said, 'I saw your work.' He asked, 'Nana, how did you like it?' I said, 'Very good, what restraint, you did a very good job.')
What Was the Rift Between Nana Patekar and Anil Kapoor?
The alleged rift began in 1989 when Patekar claimed Kapoor asked 'Parinda' director Vidhu Vinod Chopra to drop him from the film. In the same interview, Patekar detailed the incident: 'I was initially going to play Jackie's role. Naseeruddin Shah was supposed to play Anna. Then Naseer backed out. Anil and I rehearsed a lot. I prepared for six months. I recently asked Anil, "You asked Vinod to drop me from the film?" He said, "I thought, why should I make Nana the star? It was obvious you'd become a star if you played Jackie's part." I told him, "Didn't I tell you that whatever role you give me, I'd become a star anyway? Nobody would look at you."'
Eventually, Patekar played Anna's role, originally meant for Naseeruddin Shah. He shared that after being dropped from the film, Vinod Chopra approached him again to play Anna. 'I first felt angry, then I agreed. He said he'd pay me my market rate. I said, obviously you will, you're not doing me a favor. I just said I'll rewrite my part.'
Despite their past differences, the two actors have now reconciled and are on good terms as friends.
