Explainer: What Happened Between Nana Patekar And The Fan He Slapped

New Delhi: Veteran actor Nana Patekar is known for his swift wit and versatile acting. However, time and again, the actor finds himself in the middle of controversies. Just when Patekar was shooting for an upcoming film titled 'Journey', a fan approached Patekar and attempted to take a selfie with him.

Patekar reacted by slapping the fan on the back of the head. A video of the incident was filmed and quickly went viral on social media. The 10-second viral video was clicked near Dashashwamedh Ghat in Varanasi. The video sparked a debate about Patekar's actions, with some people defending him and others criticizing him. 

Patekar finally reacted regarding this invident, saying this was all a misunderstanding. He clarified that they were shooting a scene and he thought that fan was part of the crew. Patekar didn't know who he was. He thought fan was one of their crew so he slapped him as per the scene and he told him to leave. Later, he came to know that fan was not a part of the crew. 

Apologetically, he said, "A video is going viral where I have hit a boy. Though this sequence is a part of our film, we had one rehearsal...We were scheduled to have a second rehearsal. The director told me to begin. We were about to begin when the boy in the video came in. I didn't know who he was, I thought he was one of our crew so I slapped him as per the scene and I told him to leave. Later, I came to know that he was not a part of the crew. So, I was going to call him back but he ran away. Maybe his friend shot the video. I have never said no to anybody for a photo. I don't do this...This happened by mistake...If there is some misunderstanding, please forgive me...I will never do anything like this."

The video shows Nana Patekar in a brown blazer and a hat and when a fan comes from behind and starts taking a selfie with him, he smacks him on the back of his head. A crew member standing next to Nana then grabs the boy by the neck and makes him leave the set.