Mumbai, Oct 8 (IANS) Paying a heartfelt tribute to Nana Patekar, Shah Rukh Khan recalled his first meeting with the veteran actor.

The 'Jawan' actor said that during their first meeting, he was extremely nervous and hence was fiddling with his hair. Nana Patekar slapped SRK's hand away and said, ‘hero ki tarah Baal mat bana...tu actor hai’!"

"He didn’t flatter you. He didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear. He told you what you needed to hear. That was Nana. Straightforward. Rough, honest and had the most beautiful smile (sic)", Shah Rukh Khan wrote on his official handle.

Recalling the veteran actor's strange way of showing affection, he added, "He would shout at you first, and then somewhere between the third or fourth insult, you realised you were being hugged. He loved me and I loved him back. He was a mentor, a teacher, a critic and a friend who beat me and everyone else around him in carrom game after game and relished his victories."

Mourning the loss of the celebrated actor, Shah Rukh shared that he wished he had the time to have more conversations with the late actor, along with another cup of tea and a game of carrom.

"You have left a void not only in the world of cinema but in the hearts of all Indians and the world. All I can say is, I will miss you dearly and carry your words in my heart till the end of time....’hero banne ke chakar mein actor mat khona’ May your soul rest in peace Nana and Allah bless you. The Heavens will be blessed to have you... a masterful actor and an unbeatable carrom champion. Love you and miss you dearly!! Too soon my Hero Actor! RIP", SRK concluded.

Shah Rukh and Nana Patekar shared the screen in the 1992 release 'Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman', which also featured Juhi Chawla.

--IANS

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