Nana Patekar claps back at Naseeruddin Shah: "Love for the nation is not a bad thing"

Veteran actor Nana Patekar has responded to Naseeruddin Shah's recent comments on the box office success of films like "Gadar 2" and "The Kerala Story." Naseeruddin Shah criticized these films, labelling them as examples of how 'jingoism' tends to resonate with audiences nowadays.

Nana Patekar, in his reply, posed a thought-provoking question, "Did you ask Naseer what nationalism means to him?" He went on to express his view that displaying love for one's country is a form of nationalism, emphasizing that it is not a negative sentiment. Patekar acknowledged that films like "Gadar 2" are crafted to align with such sentiments, although he admitted not having watched "The Kerala Story" and therefore refrained from commenting on it.

In addition to addressing the films in question, Nana Patekar emphasized the ethical responsibility of filmmakers when dealing with sensitive topics like nationalism and true events. He highlighted the importance of staying true to the facts rather than exploiting such themes for financial gain. According to Patekar, making money in the name of nationalism is not a practice he endorses.

Naseeruddin Shah had previously voiced his concerns about the prevalent trend in Bollywood, where films with a jingoistic tone tend to fare better at the box office. He had remarked on the necessity to not only love one's country but also to create imaginary adversaries for popularity, which he viewed as potentially harmful.

In terms of his own projects, Nana Patekar is gearing up for his appearance in Vivek Agnihotri's "The Vaccine War" and is all set to make his debut in the world of OTT with the political thriller series titled "Laal Batti," directed by Prakash Jha. 

ALSO READ: Naseeruddin Shah confronts disturbing popularity of 'The Kashmir Files' & 'Gadar 2,' calls it harmful