Veteran actor Madhoo Shah, who worked with Nana Patekar in the 1997 film Yeshwant, once recalled an intense scene they filmed together. She wanted to use glycerin to cry, but Nana insisted she feel the emotion instead. His unexpected slap left her shocked, and so she slapped him back.

Nana Patekar Slapped Madhoo Shah For Real

Madhoo recalled how Nana pushed her to bring real emotion to the scene in a conversation with Pinkvilla's Hindi Rush. She said he told her, "Feel it; you should have natural tears". She admitted she struggled to cry naturally during the shoot.

Nana then slapped her for real, leaving her with tears in her eyes. Madhoo recalled, "What he did then was slap me for real. He slapped me so hard that I naturally had tears in my eyes."

Madhoo said the slap was not part of their rehearsals, leaving her completely unprepared for it. She said she was angry and reacted instinctively.

"I was extremely mad at him because we had done rehearsals and he hadn't done anything like that. His sudden slap shocked me. And I am so short-tempered that I slapped him back. He hit me and my reflex was to hit him back."

Madhoo Shah felt the scene ultimately benefited from the intensity of the moment, despite the unexpected exchange between her and Nana Patekar.

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She recalled that director Anil Mattoo had planned an entire day to shoot the sequence, which was one of the key scenes in Yeshwant. However, they finished it in half the time because the emotions were real and the scene unfolded naturally.

Madhoo also clarified that Nana never behaved badly or treated her with hostility while they worked together. She said his criticism was usually meant to help her stay true to her character and improve her performance.

Madhoo said working with Nana had a lasting impact on her. His approach to acting and focus on bringing real emotions to a scene influenced the way she approached her own performances.

About Yeshwant Movie: Directed by Anil Mattoo, it starred Madhoo, Atul Agnihotri, and Nana Patekar in the key roles. The movie chronicled the struggles of an honest undercover narcotics investigator to support his wife Ragini's aspirations to become a deputy collector while simultaneously focusing on his integrity and ideals, which put him at odds with a powerful drug lord.

ALSO READ - Madhoo Is Ready To Play Ajay Devgn's Mother In Film; Says ‘I Would Take It As A Challenge'

Veteran actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar passed away at the age of 75 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Goa residence.

Hospital staff said he was declared dead at 5:20 AM. Doctors made efforts to revive him for nearly 45 minutes after he was brought to the hospital, but he could not be saved.

FAQ

1. Why did Madhoo Shah say the scene benefited from the incident?

She felt the real emotions made the scene more intense and helped it unfold naturally.

2. How long was the scene in Yeshwant scheduled to be shot?

Director Anil Mattoo had planned a full day, but the scene was completed in half the allotted time.

3. Is Nana Patekar dead?

Yes. The actor passed away on October 8, 2026. He will be cremated with full state honours in Pune.