Veteran actor Helen has paid tribute to Nana Patekar, remembering the Khamoshi: The Musical co-star as “a very respectful actor and such a nice human being.”
Helen, 87, played Nana Patekar’s mother, Maria, in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 1996 directorial debut. The film followed Joseph (Nana Patekar) and Flavy Braganza (Seema Biswas), a deaf couple in Goa, and their daughter Annie, played by Manisha Koirala.
After learning of the actor’s sudden passing, she said the song Gaate The Pehle Akele remains a special memory.
“I remember him being on set and I’m just sad to learn of his sudden passing. I recall we had a lot of fun on that song even between the shots, the scene where I played the piano and we danced on the beach in Goa. Now, all those moments are fond memories,” Helen said.
A return that gave her a screen son
Helen had stepped away from acting when Bhansali came to Salim saab’s house to convince her to take the role.
“Today I’m glad I did that movie and met a wonderful actor like Nana and the rest of the cast,” she said.
- The film: Khamoshi: The Musical, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 1996 directorial debut.
- Her role: Maria, mother to Nana Patekar’s character Joseph.
- The song: Gaate The Pehle Akele, remembered for the piano scene and the Goa beach dance.
- The line she returns to: “Love each other or perish,” from Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays with Morrie, which she says Salim saab often quotes.
Why it matters
For Bollywood fans, the tribute connects two screen generations. Helen’s classic presence met Bhansali’s music-led 1990s storytelling in a film built around silence, sound and family love.
Helen framed the loss simply: “All of us have to go one day but as Salim saab keeps saying ‘Love each other or perish’.” She added that the line was popularized by Mitch Albom’s memoir Tuesdays with Morrie.
The tribute also reframes Helen’s decision to return. A role she needed convincing to take became a lifelong link to a co-star she now mourns publicly. Her farewell turns an on-screen mother-son bond into a public goodbye, with the Goa-set song as the memory she keeps returning to.
Source: Hindustan Times
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