Nana Patekar’s portrayal of Uday Shetty in Anees Bazmee’s Welcome remains one of the most memorable comic performances of his career. Interestingly, the veteran actor initially refused to even hear the film’s script.

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Patekar, who died at the age of 75 on Thursday morning after suffering a heart attack, had spent decades portraying intense and dramatic characters across Hindi cinema and theatre. His role as Uday Shetty in Welcome offered a striking departure from that image and became one of his most widely loved performances.

Recalling how he approached Patekar for the 2007 comedy, director Anees Bazmee spoke about the experience during an appearance on The Kapil Sharma Show Season 2.

Bazmee said he called Patekar and asked to meet him because he wanted to narrate a film. According to Bazmee, Patekar responded by asking why he wanted to meet him. When Bazmee explained that he wanted to narrate a script, the actor initially refused to listen.

Bazmee’s recollection highlights how uncertain the casting of Uday Shetty initially was. Patekar eventually took on the role and transformed the character into one of the defining comic figures of Welcome.

Alongside Akshay Kumar, Anil Kapoor, Katrina Kaif and Paresh Rawal, Patekar became central to the film’s ensemble. His chemistry with Anil Kapoor’s Majnu Bhai, in particular, became a major part of the comedy’s appeal.

The role also demonstrated Patekar’s versatility, showing that the actor known for powerful dramatic performances could command the screen with comic timing and an exaggerated gangster persona.