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Raaj Kumar and Nana Patekar had reservations about working together in the 1993 film Tirangaa. Despite this, they became good friends during the shoot.
Raaj Kumar and Nana Patekar worked together in 1993 film, Tirangaa.
Veteran actors Raaj Kumar and Nana Patekar shared screen space in the 1993 film, Tirangaa. In a recent interview, filmmaker Mehul Kumar, who directed the film, recalled how both Kumar and Patekar weren’t too happy when they learnt that they had to work with each other. While Kumar claimed that Patekar beats people up, the latter threatened to leave the sets in case of any interference.
Speaking to YouTuber Shreshth Bharat, Mehul recalled his ordeal when he cast Kumar and Patekar together for Tirangaa and said, “When I cast Nana, he told me that the subject is great, the title is good, and I like my character, so I am ready to work but if Raaj Kumar interferes, then I will leave the set and I won’t come back. He put forth that condition.”
The filmmaker reminisced conveying the message to the Mother India actor. And this is what happened next: “I called Raaj Kumar. I told him I have finalised Nana Patekar. He said, ‘Nana abuses on set, beats people up, why did you sign him?'”
The filmmaker continued, “I told him what Nana said that if Raaj saab interferes, then I will leave the set.” To this, Raaj Kumar swiftly replied, “Mehul, when do I interfere? If you say okay, then I don’t say anything. This is our third film together.”
He even reassured Raaj Kumar that Nana Patekar had promised that there would no trouble on the sets. Soon after, the shoot began. To people’s surprise, the actors became good friends by the time they finished the shoot. “After I shot the song ‘Peele peele’, they became friends,” he said.
Mehul Kumar-helmed Tirangaa went on to become one of the superhit films of the year. It also starred Harish Kumar, Mamta Kulkarni and Varsha Usgaonkar. If you wish to watch the film, it is available on Prime Video.
