Nana Patekar’s portrayal of Haridev Abhayankar in Rajinikanth’s 2018 action drama Kaala remains one of the film’s most memorable performances. His intense screen presence as the antagonist added weight to the conflict with Rajinikanth’s character. However, Patekar was not immediately convinced about taking up the role and initially had reservations about joining the film.
Why Nana Patekar Hesitated Over ‘Kaala’
Patekar, who has frequently taken on powerful and complex characters, was initially unsure about playing another negative role. In Kaala, he plays Haridev Abhayankar, a ruthless politician who stands against Rajinikanth’s character.
Director Pa Ranjith was keen to have Patekar in the film and believed his presence would create a strong opponent for Rajinikanth. Despite the director’s interest, Patekar was initially reluctant to accept the part.
The situation changed after Rajinikanth personally contacted the veteran actor. During their conversation, Rajinikanth reportedly explained the character and made a humble request to Patekar to take up the role. He also reportedly told the actor that when Patekar performed on screen, audiences would not be looking at him.
Rajinikanth’s words had a strong impact on Patekar. His respect and affection for the superstar eventually convinced him to become part of the project. Patekar later spoke about the incident at the film’s pre-release event and acknowledged that Rajinikanth’s appeal played an important role in changing his decision.
About Rajinikanth’s ‘Kaala’
Also known as Kaala Karikalan, Kaala is a Tamil action drama directed and co-written by Pa Ranjith. The story focuses on land rights and social justice, with Rajinikanth playing Karikaalan “Kaala” Vengaiyan, the influential leader of Dharavi.
The film follows Kaala as he attempts to protect his community’s land from Haridev Abhayankar, also known as Hari Dada. The movie was produced by Dhanush and Subaskaran Allirajah under Wunderbar Films and Lyca Productions, respectively.
The cast also includes Easwari Rao as Selvi Karikaalan, Huma Qureshi as Zareena in her Tamil debut, Samuthirakani as Vaaliyappan, Pankaj Tripathi as SI Pankaj Patil and Anjali Patil as Charumathi (Puyal).
Santhosh Narayanan composed the film’s music, while Murali G handled cinematography and A Sreekar Prasad was responsible for the editing.
‘Kaala’ Made History in Saudi Arabia
Kaala also holds a significant place in Indian cinema history. It became the first Indian film to be released in Saudi Arabia after the country lifted its ban on public theatres in December 2017.
For viewers interested in revisiting the Rajinikanth-Nana Patekar face-off, Kaala is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar.