Rediff

Jeffrey Archer immortalised his nearly 50-year friendship with Tiger Pataudi in the short story The Century.

Baththa turns a school toilet into the setting for an unlikely redemption story, turning itself into one of 2026's warmest feel-good entertainers.

'Nana Patekar's dedication and passion were unmatchable. I remember there was a dinner sequence and the chicken had gone stale. He ate the stale chicken instead of wasting time waiting for fresh food.'

Hurt and humiliation is skin deep in Reporting Live's truth-seeking, which is why its cynical view of a crusader's fate leaves no impact, notes Sukanya Verma.

Never a crowd pleaser in the conventional sense, Nana Patekar's knack for not mincing words, if anything his brusque, take it-or-leave it persona -- which made his eccentricity a guilty pleasure of sorts -- contributed to his eminence, observes Sukanya Verma.

'There, the bodies of martyred soldiers were brought in. It was deeply distressing, as many of the bodies were in a bad state.'

'He always had a strange way of showing affection. 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.'

'People used to say he had a quick temper or acted out but anger only arises when things aren't organised.'

'I particularly remember the scene in Musthafa, where his insight and understanding helped me immensely in bringing a certain nuance and depth to my performance.'

That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance he was completely his own. Nana Patekar was truly one of a kind.'