Marathi cinema has produced many talented actors, and Ashok Saraf is among its most celebrated. Known as ‘Mahanayak’, ‘Ashok Samrat’, and ‘Mama’, he began his journey in theatre before making a mark on the big screen. Along with a successful Marathi film career, he also appeared in several Hindi films like Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya, Koyla, Gupt, Yes Boss, and Singham. Interestingly, he shares a long-standing friendship with fellow actor Nana Patekar, dating back to their early career days.Early Careers and SupportAshok Saraf began his career well before Nana Patekar. Both were active in theatre and performed in several shows together. At the time Nana was struggling to establish himself and faced financial difficulties, while Ashok was already a well-known actor. It was Ashok who supported Nana during those early challenging years.A Special Friendship MemoryAt an event, Nana Patekar shared a touching memory about his friendship with Ashok Saraf. He revealed that whenever Ashok was traveling for a play, Nana would massage his feet and head with oil—and Ashok would pay him Rs. 5 for it.During their time performing in the play Hamidabaichi Kothi, Ashok Saraf earned Rs. 250, while Nana Patekar received Rs. 50. In their free time, they often played card games, where Ashok would purposely lose to give Nana some extra money. Nana was aware of this, but accepted it due to his financial struggles.A Generous Gesture in Tough TimesWhen Nana was in urgent need of money, Ashok visited him at home and handed him a blank cheque, saying he had Rs. 15,000 in his account and Nana could withdraw whatever he needed. Nana took Rs. 3,000, and to this day, Ashok has never asked him to repay it.
