Madhoo recalls Nana Patekar's unexpected slap on Yeshwant sets: I hit him back

Madhoo Shah recalled an intense moment on the sets of Yeshwant, revealing that she slapped Nana Patekar back after he unexpectedly hit her during an emotional scene.

In Short

• Madhoo slapped Nana Patekar back after he unexpectedly hit her on Yeshwant set
• Nana insisted on natural tears, slapping Madhoo to evoke real emotion
• Incident shocked Madhoo but added intensity to important scene

Actor Madhoo Shah has opened up about an intense moment from the sets of the 1997 film Yeshwant. She revealed that she instinctively slapped Nana Patekar back after he unexpectedly hit her during a scene. Recalling the incident, Madhoo said the veteran actor's commitment to realism often pushed her beyond her comfort zone and ultimately influenced her approach to acting.

In an interview with Hindi Rush, Madhoo spoke about working alongside Nana and how his method of performing had a lasting impact on her.

“With Nana Patekar, I became a method actor. There was a scene where I was supposed to use glycerin. He didn't let me use it. He was like, ‘Feel it, you should have natural tears.' But I couldn't do it. What he did then was slap me for real. He slapped me so hard that I naturally had tears in my eyes,” she said.

The actor admitted that the slap caught her completely off guard because it had not been part of their rehearsals.

Madhoo said she was furious after the incident and reacted instinctively.

“I was extremely mad at him because we had done rehearsals and he hadn't done anything like that. His sudden slap shocked me. And I am so short-tempered that I slapped him back. He hit me and my reflex was to hit him back," she added.

Despite the unexpected exchange, Madhoo believes the intensity of the moment ultimately benefited the scene.

She recalled that it was one of the most important sequences in Yeshwant and that director Anil Mattoo had allocated an entire day for filming it. However, because the emotions felt genuine and the scene unfolded naturally, the shoot was completed in half the scheduled time.

According to Madhoo, Nana felt there was nothing more to add after the take and considered the sequence complete. She also credited the experience with changing her perspective on performance, saying it helped her embrace aspects of method acting.

The actor further clarified that Nana was never rude or hostile towards her on set. She explained that his criticism was usually aimed at improving her performance and helping her stay immersed in the character.

Madhoo said he would often object when she used glycerin for emotional scenes or immediately stepped out of character after a shot.

While she described herself as a "switch-on, switch-off" performer, she noted that Nana believed actors should continue living the emotions of their characters throughout the filming process.

Directed by Anil Mattoo, Yeshwant starred Nana Patekar in the lead role, alongside Madhoo and Atul Agnihotri. The film follows an honest undercover narcotics officer whose integrity and principles bring him into conflict with a powerful drug lord, while also chronicling his efforts to support his wife Ragini's ambitions of becoming a deputy collector.

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