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Nana Patekar defends Akshay Kumar’s unique style of reading lines off a board, comparing it to Marlon Brando’s iconic method.
Nana Patekar and Akshay Kumar are two of Bollywood’s most celebrated stars, each known for their unique styles. While Nana’s naturalistic acting has earned him critical acclaim, Akshay’s versatility shines in both high-octane stunts and comedy. The duo collaborated in the beloved Welcome franchise, which debuted in 2007, followed by its sequel in 2015. Recently, Nana shared his perspective on working with Akshay and defended his co-star’s unconventional process of reading lines from a board.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Nana addressed Akshay’s approach with admiration, stating, “Everybody has their own style and preferences. For me, I don’t look at the screen; for him, he needs a board to read. But, how is it a problem? At the end of the day, it is difficult to read and emote at the same time. It is something I can’t do, and he is a great actor.”
To underscore his point, Nana drew a parallel with legendary Hollywood actor Marlon Brando. He explained, “In the film Last Tango in Paris, Marlon Brando was shooting for an intimate scene, for which he couldn’t remember his lines. What he did was, he wrote his lines on the back of his co-star and read it aloud. Today, it is regarded as one of the best scenes of all time. People say, ‘What chemistry he had, the way he was looking into his co-star’s eyes…’ In reality, he was only reading. It’s all about one’s style and preference.”
Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar is currently shooting for the third installment of Welcome, which does not feature Nana. The star-studded cast includes Disha Patani, Raveena Tandon, Sanjay Dutt, Jacqueline Fernandez, Suniel Shetty, Anil Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Paresh Rawal, Johny Lever, Arshad Warsi, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rahul Dev, and Rajpal Yadav.
When asked about not being part of the upcoming Welcome film, Nana told SCREEN, “I am not a part of it, maybe they think hum bohot puraane ho gaye hai (I have become dated).”
Currently, Nana Patekar is promoting his film Vanvaas, directed by Anil Sharma of Gadar fame. Co-starring Utkarsh Sharma and Simrat Kaur, the film offers an emotional exploration of family, honor, and self-acceptance, delivering a narrative that redefines the meaning of familial bonds.