Smita Patil forced Nana Patekar to enter Bollywood through Aaj Ki Awaz, years later he rejected to launch his own son Malhar as an actor

Nana Patekar has spent more than four decades on screen, but he has credited one person for even getting him there. In an interaction with a group of reporters, reported by IBN Live, Patekar said he was content doing plays until Smita Patil stepped in and recommended his name for Aaj Ki Awaaz, effectively pushing him into films.

That same closeness later showed up in a very different way, in how Patekar treated his own son's wish to act. Malhar Patekar wanted to become an actor, and his father chose not to open that door for him, something Patekar has explained in more than one interview over the years, including comments on how nepotism works in the industry at large.

Nana Patekar's Bollywood Debut: How Did Smita Patil Push Nana Patekar Into Films?

Patekar and Patil went on to work together in films including Awaam and Giddh, alongside Aaj Ki Awaaz. In a later conversation with Lallantop, reported by TOI's entertainment desk, Patekar recalled Patil teaching him to drive, sitting beside him while he was nervous behind the wheel. He quoted her reassuring him, saying nothing would happen even if there was an accident, and that she wanted to buy sarees for his family. Patekar said he believes she would still be at the top of the industry today had she lived longer.

Nana Patekar Son: What Did Nana Patekar Say About His Son Wanting To Act?
Long before any nepotism conversation came up, Malhar had already appeared on screen as a child, playing a younger version of his father's character in Prahaar. At fourteen, he wanted to join Army, not films, Patekar told Rediff back in 1998, adding that he would back his son in whatever path he chose.

That changed in 2009, when Malhar told his father he wanted to become an actor. Patekar responded by planning to direct a film meant to launch him, with Prakash Jha agreeing to produce it.

Nana Patekar's Son Acting Career: What Happened To The Film Meant To Launch Malhar?
That project never saw daylight. Patekar and Jha had a disagreement, and the planned launch fell apart before production could begin. A second chance appeared in 2012, when Ram Gopal Varma reportedly offered Malhar a role in a planned sequel to Ab Tak Chhappan. Patekar turned that offer down too.

Instead of stepping in front of a camera, Malhar went to assist Varma on The Attacks of 26/11, credited on IMDb as second unit or assistant director on the 2013 release. Patekar has said he once considered having Malhar work directly under him, but felt his son would be too nervous around him, and pushed him toward Varma's set instead.

Why Did Nana Patekar Refuse To Launch Malhar As An Actor?
By 2015, Patekar told Rediff that Malhar had trained in cinematography and direction in New York and had no real interest in acting anymore. In that same conversation, Patekar explained his refusal in plain terms, saying launching Malhar would amount to imposing him on audiences. If Malhar wanted to act, Patekar said, he would have to make it on his own merit, without his father's name clearing the path.

What Did Nana Patekar Say About Nepotism In Bollywood?
Patekar's stand on Malhar lines up with comments he made years later at the trailer launch of Vivek Agnihotri's The Vaccine War, as reported by Hindustan Times. Speaking to reporters at the Mumbai event in September 2023, Patekar took a dig at an unnamed recent hit film, which many on social media linked to Anil Sharma's Gadar 2 and its casting of Sharma's son Utkarsh Sharma, though some also pointed to Jawan, Pathaan and OMG 2.

Patekar said, "Ab jis tarah ki filmein hit ho rahi hain... maine kal ek film jo bahut hi hit hui maine dekhi woh... Main matlab puri dekhi nahi pa raha tha. Lekin woh filmein bahut chalti hain. Ab mujhe lagta hai ki baar-baar hum iss tarike ka material dikhake logo ko majboor kartein hain yeh pasand karne ke liye (The kind of movies being made today are such that the other day I saw a recent hit film and I could not even sit through it. I feel by making such movies again and again, we force people to watch them)," according to Hindustan Times.

On nepotism specifically, Patekar said, according to Hindustan Times, "Main actor hoon. Kal main apne bete ko actor banana chahta hoon, uski aukat ho na ho. Lekin main toh thopna chahta hoon aap ke upar. Ek film uski gir jaye, chalo doosri film mein main loonga, teesri film mein bhi... dus filmein hone ke baad apko uski buraiyan kam nazar aane lagti hain. Aur ahista-ahista usko aap apnane lagte ho. Aur ek din woh humare sar pe baithta hai (I am an actor and tomorrow I will give my son many chances in films and force people to watch him, whether he deserves it or not. Even if one film flops, I will cast him in another, then another. After ten films, his flaws stop bothering you, and slowly you start accepting him, until one day he sits on our heads)."

What Is Nana Patekar's Son Malhar Patekar Doing Now?

Malhar's public appearances since have been limited. A Mid-Day report from 2022 had him speaking about his father's disaster relief work, where Patekar had designed special vehicles for NDRF response teams, with Malhar discussing requirements gathered directly from NDRF personnel.

Beyond that, recent reporting on Malhar's professional life remains thin. Some entertainment sites claim he now runs Nana Patekar Productions, and a LinkedIn profile under his name lists the same company, though no major outlet has independently confirmed this as his current role.

Nana Patekar's Last Film
His recent work includes O'Romeo in February 2026, playing Mumbai Intelligence Bureau chief Ismail Khan alongside Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, and Subedaar in March 2026 with Anil Kapoor, besides Housefull 5, Vanvaas and his OTT debut Sankalp, directed by Prakash Jha.