Veteran filmmaker Sai Paranjpye, known for her sensitive and socially conscious storytelling, recently opened up about a bumpy ride she had while shooting the 1990 film ‘Disha’. The movie, which starred acting heavyweights Om Puri, Shabana Azmi, and Nana Patekar, apparently had more drama off-screen than on it—courtesy of Nana’s fiery temper.

Speaking to Filmfare, Sai shared an unfiltered account of her experience directing Nana, whose on-set behavior she described as unpredictable. Even before she cast him, she’d been warned: “Be careful of Nana’s temperament.”

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But Sai, who believed in his talent, decided to take the plunge.

“At first, he was absolutely charming,” she recalled, noting that Nana referred to ‘Disha’ as “his own film.”

Though his character wasn’t scheduled to shoot for the first few days, Nana insisted on being present on set, watching every moment unfold. It was a gesture Sai found touching—at first.

But things took a sharp turn when Nana started feeling overlooked.

“For the first three days, I was focused on Shabana and Om’s scenes,” she explained. “Nana didn’t have any work those days, and maybe he felt left out. The next thing I knew, he was blowing up over something as small as his chappals not being right.”

The tantrum wasn’t subtle. According to Sai Paranjpye, it was dramatic enough to leave the entire crew speechless. “It was a holy tantrum,” she said.

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Though her daughter, who was friendly with Nana, tried to calm him down, the outbursts continued. One day, Nana declared, “I’m going. I don’t want to work in this rotten film,” and stormed off the set. The crew somehow coaxed him back. But the final straw came during a dubbing session.

“He just threw the pages and said, ‘I won’t do this!’” Sai remembered.

That’s when Sai—known more for her gentle approach than confrontation—finally snapped.

“I lost it,” she admitted. “I told him, ‘Either behave like a professional or walk out. I’ve had enough of your tantrums!’”

That wasn’t the end of it.

Nana stormed off yet again, but not before delivering a line that could’ve come straight from one of his intense film scenes: “You’re lucky you’re a woman. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been here.” Then he left, slamming the door behind him.

The next morning, however, brought a complete change in tone.

Sai picked up the phone to hear Nana’s voice—cool as ever—asking, “What time is the shift?”

“He was as good as gold after that,” she said, still slightly amused by the rollercoaster he’d taken her on.