*Welcome* Director Anees Bazmee Requests Privacy After Nana Patekar's Death

Bazmee and Patekar shared a memorable professional association through the 2007 comedy *Welcome*, in which Patekar played the now-iconic character Uday Shetty.

Following the actor's death, Bazmee shared a note on social media addressing members of the media and requesting privacy while he comes to terms with the loss.

"To all my media friends, I’m really sorry, but I’m not in a condition to talk right now. I’m deeply saddened and still unable to process what has happened. Please give me some time. I genuinely don’t have the words or the state of mind to say anything right now. This is an unbearable loss and an unbearable pain for me and for all of us. I hope you understand," he wrote.

Bazmee's collaboration with Patekar in *Welcome* produced one of the actor's most memorable comic performances. Patekar portrayed Uday Shankar Shetty, an intimidating underworld figure who is deeply invested in finding a suitable husband for his sister Sanjana, played by Katrina Kaif.

In an earlier interview, Bazmee recalled how he persuaded Patekar, known primarily for intense dramatic roles, to take on a comedy character. The filmmaker said he was convinced that Patekar would excel in comedy.

Patekar eventually agreed after reading the script and, according to Bazmee's recollection, told the director that he was like "kachhi mitti" and could be moulded according to the filmmaker's vision.

The decision produced a widely remembered comic performance, with Patekar's chemistry with Anil Kapoor, who played Majnu Bhai, becoming one of the film's major attractions.

Uday Shetty's distinctive mannerisms, acting and dialogue delivery made the character particularly popular. The line "Control Uday, control" became one of the film's most recognisable dialogues and later turned into a widely circulated meme.

Another memorable sequence featured Uday selling vegetables, including the dialogue "Aloo le lo, kaanda le lo..." and his complaint that he couldn't sell even a potato or half an onion since morning.

Akshay Kumar, who worked with Patekar in *Welcome* and later shared screen space with him again in *Housefull 5*, also paid an emotional tribute following the veteran actor's death.

Nana Patekar died on October 8, 2026, at the age of 75, following a cardiac arrest at his residence in Dona Paula, Goa.