Entertainment
Nana Patekar Stars in Bharathiraja’s 2008 Tamil Film Bommalattam
In 2008, veteran actor Nana Patekar appeared in the Tamil film Bommalattam, directed by celebrated filmmaker Bharathiraja. The project began in 2007 when Bharathiraja conceived a film-within-a-film concept and initially intended it for a Hindi release. He approached Patekar for the lead role of a director, and the project was later also made in Tamil. The cast included Rukmini Vijayakumar, Arjun Sarja and Kajal Agarwal. During production, Patekar and Bharathiraja experienced occasional friction, but the director praised Patekar’s dedication and his ability to deliver dialogues in Tamil. Arjun Sarja helped smooth tensions between the two. Patekar also found humor in the work of late comedian Vivekh, laughing at a Tamil joke translated into English. The film premiered on 12 December 2008 and generated buzz, with Bharathiraja challenging journalists to predict the climax at a special screening. The Hindu reviewed the film, highlighting Patekar’s natural, understated performance and strong body language as a delight for film connoisseurs.