Exclusive | Eetha Actor Zeeshan Ayyub Reveals Nana Patekar’s Valuable Advice To Him: ‘You Just Need To…’

Veteran actor Nana Patekar’s death on October 8 following a cardiac arrest sent shockwaves across the nation. Following his death, several celebs grieved the loss of the Padma Shree awardee. Actors who shared a close friendship with Nana shared memories and anecdotes of working with him. 

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub, who worked with Nana Patekar in Prakash Jah’s 2026 socio-political drama series Sankalp, shared a very close bond with the legend. He will share the same screen space in the upcoming biographical film Eetha, with Shraddha Kapoor as the lead. 

In an interview with Outlook, Zeeshan Ayyub recalls his fond memories with Nana Patekar while working together on Sankalp. He also shares one valuable piece of advice Nana Patekar gave him, which he holds close to his heart.

Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub remembers Nana Patekar

“Nana loved me a lot, and I was very close to him,” says Zeeshan Ayyub. “He even said in an interview that I'm like his son. We had many conversations about acting and other things. We spent 20–22 days together on Sankalp, and we never lost touch. We never stopped talking, and he used to message me asking, ‘How are you, Hajjam?’ I found out that when he loves someone, he calls them by that name. There are three or four people in the industry he used to call Hajjam. I don't know why, but it must mean something, and it was great for me.” 

Recalls Nana Patekar’s advice

Looking back at his fond memories with Nana Patekar, Zeeshan Ayyub says he will always live in his memory and feels he is still there.

Recalling his advice, the actor shares, “He used to tell me, ‘While performing, always remember that you don't need to move your face too much—you just need to trust your eyes. You just think about something, and it shows in your eyes, so always be aware of this point while performing.’ I think that was small but important advice. He said, ‘People don't come to see wet eyes; they come to see dry eyes getting wet’.”

The Hunkkaar actor also shares that Nana Patekar had a great sense of humour and they had lots of fun while shooting.

When asked about his reunion with Nana in Eetha, Zeeshan Ayyub avoided commenting on it for now. 

On Zeeshan's role in Eetha

Zeeshan Ayyub says he plays a “pivotal” role in Eetha, which is based on life of legendary Lavani and Tamasha artist Vithabai Bhau Mang Narayangaonkar. Although he cannot reveal too much about the film before its release, he assures fans that his character is “great”.

Speaking about the script, the actor tells us it's very interesting and something he deeply loved because it resembles old-school cinema.

“I used to like those films where you sit with your family—there's heightened emotion, there's lots of drama,” he says, adding, “I think we have a great appetite for drama that should always be entertained, and I love that.”

“All I can say is that they'll be releasing the trailer soon, so you'll have a better idea of how much of the character is revealed. Once the film releases, we can definitely talk in much more detail,” he concludes.

Directed by Laxman Utekar, Eetha is scheduled for release on December 4, 2026.