When Anees Bazmee revealed how Nana Patekar came onboard 'Welcome'
Mumbai, July 5
Nana Patekar gave a memorable performance as Uday Shetty in "Welcome". But did you know how filmmaker Anees Bazmee convinced the veteran actor to come on board the project?
While appearing on "The Kapil Sharma Show", Bazmee revealed how he managed to convince a serious actor like Nana Patekar to play the hilarious don Uday Shetty in his film.
Bezmee shared that Nana told him, "I do not want to hear any script or anything. Swear on your mother that this film is good for me"
"How long will it take to narrate the script?", Nana added.
To this, Bazmee replied, "I can narrate it in 3 hours, in 30 minutes, and even in 3 minutes".
After hearing the script for 3 hours, Nana simply hugged Bazmee and said, "I am like raw clay, will come to your set, shape me however you like".
Bazmee further confessed that he has always been a big fan of Nana and believed that when he would do comedy, he would end up teaching a lot of people how comedy is actually done.
Bazmee added that he had a great time working with Nana in "Welcome".
The 2007 release enjoys an ensemble cast with Anil Kapoor, Nana Patekar, Akshay Kumar, Katrina Kaif, Paresh Rawal, and Mallika Sherawat in prominent roles, along with Sunil Shetty and Malaika Arora doing special appearances.
The project also marked legendary actor Feroz Khan's final screen appearance before his unfortunate demise on 27 Apr, 2009.
"Welcome" is believed to be loosely inspired by the 1999 English comedy "Mickey Blue Eyes".
The sequel, "Welcome Back", came out in 2015, which also turned out to be a massive commercial success.
The third instalment in the series, "Welcome to the Jungle," was also released on June 26 this year.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Just imagine Nana Patekar doing comedy after all those serious roles like in Krantiveer and Ab Tak Chhappan. That's why Welcome remains such a cult classic. Even today, I watch it on TV whenever it comes. 😊
Interesting! Bazmee's approach to convince Nana was pure instinct and trust, not just a script pitch. It reminds me of how some directors work with method actors in Hollywood. Respect for both!
Honestly, I think Welcome could have been even better without some of the over-the-top comedy, but Nana's character was perfectly balanced. The way he switched from intense to funny was amazing. No wonder he taught others how comedy is done. 🎭
That story about Nana asking Bazmee to "swear on your mother" is so typical of old-school Indian cinema trust. These days it's all about agents and contracts. Miss that authenticity. And Uday Shetty's dialogues are still meme-worthy! 🤣
I remember watching Welcome in the theater with my family. Nana's entry scene as Uday Shetty where he throws the flower and says "Welcome" had everyone in splits. The whole cast was brilliant, but he stole the show. Great piece of cinematic history! 👏
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