Renowned actor Nana Patekar found himself in the midst of controversy when a video capturing him slapping a man went viral on social media.
In the footage, Patekar, donned in a brown blazer and hat, reacts to a fan attempting to take a selfie by delivering a swift smack to the back of the fan’s head. A crew member then intervenes, grabbing the individual by the neck and escorting him off the set.
Breaking his silence on the matter, the Welcome actor clarified, “A video is going viral where I have hit a boy. Though this sequence is a part of our film, we had one rehearsal…We were scheduled to have a second rehearsal. The director told me to begin. We were about to begin when the boy in the video came in. I didn’t know who he was; I thought he was one of our crew, so I slapped him as per the scene and told him to leave. Later, I came to know that he was not a part of the crew. So, I was going to call him back, but he ran away. Maybe his friend shot the video. I have never said no to anybody for a photo. I don’t do this… This happened by mistake…If there is some misunderstanding, please forgive me…I will never do anything like this.”
View this post on Instagram
The incident reportedly took place on the sets of the film “Journey,” featuring Gadar 2 actor Utkarsh Sharma in the lead role. Meanwhile, Nana Patekar was recently seen in director Vivek Agnihotri’s “The Vaccine War.”
Opinion: Nana Patekar’s response sheds light on the context of the controversial video, attributing the incident to a misunderstanding during rehearsal. While the actor expressed regret and emphasized that such actions were unintentional, the incident has sparked a debate on the boundaries between on-set performances and real-life interactions with fans.