Nana Patekar's forgotten Tamil outing: The story of Bharathiraja's ‘Bommalattam’
The article reflects on the late actor Nana Patekar's 2008 Tamil film 'Bommalattam', directed by Bharathiraja. It highlights the challenges and collaborative spirit behind the production, including Patekar's dedication to learning Tamil dialogues.
Why it matters
It provides historical context to the career of a prominent Indian actor and explores the cross-regional collaboration in Indian cinema.
Today, as Indian cinema grieves the passing of Nana Patekar , Tamil audiences might remember the acclaimed actor for his role in Rajinikanth ’s 2018 film Kaala , directed by Pa Ranjith. But back in 2008, he had already made an impressive outing in Tamil in an auteur’s work: in Bharathiraja ’s Bommalattam .
The story begins in 2007 when late veteran film director Bharathiraja had an idea: a film within a film. Known in Tamil cinema for iconic films like 16 Vayathinile and Sigappu Rojakkal, Bharathiraja seemed excited about this idea, which involved a twist at the end.
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