Vishal Bhardwaj reveals why he didn’t work with Nana Patekar despite knowing him for over two decades: ‘Everyone is very scared of him’ | Bollywood News
3 min readMumbaiFeb 15, 2026 12:16 PM IST
Romantic action-drama O Romeo released on February 13 to mixed reviews. Recently, actors Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Avinash Tiwary, Farida Jalal, and director Vishal Bhardwaj appeared on The Great Indian Kapil Show Season 4 to promote the film. O Romeo also features Nana Patekar in a pivotal role. During the conversation, Vishal talked about collaborating with Nana for the first time in O Romeo.
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When host Kapil Sharma asked Vishal why he had not collaborated with Nana earlier, despite having known him for over two decades, the filmmaker replied, “Actually, it’s my mistake. I had never taken a role like this to him before. Everyone is very scared of Nana Patekar, even though he is a very soft-hearted person. Nana has been quite upset with me over not working with him. He would catch me anywhere and remind me that he is Nana Patekar, an actor, and ask when I will cast him. I used to find it very embarrassing, but finally we worked together, and it took me some time.”
Later, Kapil Sharma remarked that Nana Patekar rarely makes public appearances and has yet to feature on his show. In a lighter vein, he quipped that these days, news of Nana walking out tends to go more viral than news of him attending an event. Kapil was referring to the recent O Romeo trailer launch, where Nana had reportedly arrived on time but was allegedly kept waiting for over an hour by the film’s team. The veteran actor reportedly lost his temper and exited the event before it began.
At the trailer launch, Vishal Bhardwaj addressed this incident and said, “Nana has left the event, yet I would like to speak about him. Nana is like the naughtiest child in a classroom — the kid who bullies people and also entertains the most. I have known Nana for 27 years, but this is the first time we have worked together. If he had been here, it would have been great. But because we made him wait for an hour, he stood up in his signature style and left the event. We didn’t feel bad about it because we know this is what makes Nana, Nana Patekar.”
About O Romeo
Directed by Vishal Bhardwaj and produced by Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, O Romeo features Shahid Kapoor, Triptii Dimri, Farida Jalal, Nana Patekar, Vikrant Massey, Disha Patani, Tamannaah, and Avinash Tiwary. According to trade tracker Sacnilk, the film has recorded a net collection of Rs 20.75 crore in its first two days.
