Nana Patekar played the role of Uday Shetty in Welcome.
At the trailer launch of his upcoming film, The Vaccine War, Nana Patekar opened up on not being a part of Welcome To The Jungle.
Nana Patekar’s portrayal of Uday Shetty in Welcome continues to remain an integral part of the meme fest on social media to this date. His impeccable comic timing and banter with Anil Kapoor’s portrayal of Majnu bhai remain etched in the minds of fans. Needless to say, many were disappointed when the makers of Welcome 3, also known as Welcome To The Jungle, announced that Patekar and Kapoor aren’t a part of the film and that they have been replaced by the Munnabhai duo of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi.
At the trailer launch of his upcoming film, The Vaccine War, Patekar reacted to not doing Welcome To The Jungle for the first time. “Maybe I have become too old and jaded and that’s why they didn’t cast me for Welcome 3. Maybe, the makers of The Vaccine War don’t feel the same about me and that’s why they have roped me in. It’s that simple,” he said.
The Vaccine War marks Patekar’s return to the big screen five years after Kaala where he played the antagonist opposite Rajinikanth. In the same year, Tanushree Dutta once again spoke about being sexually harassed by Patekar on the sets of Horn Ok Pleassss, which led to the Me Too movement coming to Bollywood. Following that, Patekar hasn’t been seen working too frequently.
Speaking about his absence, the actor shared, “The industry will never shut its door on you if you want to do good work. People will keep coming to you and offer you parts if you want to keep working hard. You need to know if you want to do a role.”
“I look at every film as my first and last chance. Everyone gets a chance, it’s up to them whether you want to do it or not,” he added.
Meanwhile, Nana Patekar’s The Vaccine War will hit theatres on September 28.
