Nana Patekar on not being a part of 'Welcome 3': 'Maybe I've become outdated'

Among the cherished roles Nana Patekar has played so far, his portrayal of gangstar Uday Shetty in Welcome deserves a special mention. From his ‘Control Uday, control’ dialogue to the meme fest on social media, the Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif starrer has a special place in audience’s hearts. However, the veteran actor’s exclusion from the third instalment of the Welcome franchise, _Welcome To The Jungle_ , came as a shocker to fans. Now, during the trailer launch of his upcoming film, _The Vaccine War_ , Nana Patekar has opened up about not being cast in Welcome 3. Speaking at the event, a seemingly disappointed Nana Patekar said, “I am not a part of it, maybe I have become outdated and that’s why they didn’t cast me for Welcome 3. Maybe, the makers of The Vaccine War don’t feel the same about me and that’s why they have roped me in. It’s that simple.” Vivek Agnihotri’s The Vaccine War marks Nana Patekar’s comeback to the big screen after five long years. He last played the antagonist in the 2018 film Kaala opposite superstar Rajinikanth. Hinting at his return with The Vaccine War, the actor went on to add, “The industry will never shut its door on you if you want to do good work. People will keep coming to you and offer you parts if you want to keep working hard. You need to know if you want to do a role.” Patekar will be seen as the head of Indian scientists who developed the country’s first vaccine against COVID-19. The Vaccine War also features Anupam Kher, Raima Sen, Pallavi Joshi and Sapthami Gowda in the pivotal roles. The Vaccine War is slated to hit theatres on 28 September. Welcome To The Jungle, on the other hand, enjoys an ensemble cast which includes Akshay Kumar , Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Jacqueline Fernandez, Lara Dutta, Paresh Rawal, Sanjay Dutt, Arshad Warsi, Disha Patani, Tusshar Kapoor, Shreyas Talpade, Johny Lever, Rajpal Yadav, among others.