Veteran actor Nana Patekar died at the age of 75 on Thursday, prompting tributes across the Indian film industry. Among those remembering the actor is writer Sutapa Sikdar, who worked on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 1996 directorial debut, Khamoshi: The Musical.

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Sikdar, who wrote the film’s dialogues, recalled her experiences with Patekar while speaking about the making of the musical romance, which starred Manisha Koirala, Salman Khan, Seema Biswas and Patekar.

She remembered that Patekar’s reputation for being short-tempered had made people on the set wary of him. “My first memory of him is everybody standing scared,” Sikdar recalled, describing the atmosphere around the actor during the production.

However, Sikdar said her own experience was different. Although she was nervous because it was her first commercial film set, she said Patekar quickly warmed to her. The two spoke regularly and developed a comfortable rapport during the making of Khamoshi: The Musical.

Sikdar also recalled that Patekar continued to maintain the connection after the film. She said the actor invited her to his home during Ganpati celebrations, although she admitted that she was not very good at keeping in touch with people.

Patekar’s death marks the loss of one of Hindi cinema’s most distinctive performers. His career spanned nearly five decades and included acclaimed work across mainstream films, parallel cinema and theatre.