After a clip of veteran actor Nana Patekar slapping a selfie-seeking fan went viral and drew heavy criticism, the director of his upcoming film, Anil Sharma, has come forward to clarify that it was all a part of a scene.

The video in question showed Patekar, dressed in a suit and having a hat on, smacking a fan who approached him for a selfie. The clip is from Varanasi, where the 72-year-old actor is shooting for his next film, Journey, with Sharma.

Addressing the controversy, Sharma told Aaj Tak, “I have just come to know about this news. I was watching the same video just now. Nana has not hit anyone, rather, that is a shot from my film. We were filming it on the road in the middle of Banaras, where a boy who comes near Nana has to be hit on the head. Shooting was going on and Nana had to hit him.”

He added, “But, the crowd gathered there recorded it on their mobile cameras and leaked the shot of the film. Now, Nana is being projected as a negative and rude actor on social media, which is completely wrong. I would request fans to understand the truth of this video.”

Social media users were quick to call out the actor as soon as the clip started making the rounds online. “Taking selfies with Nana could be injurious to health,” a user wrote on X. Another called Patekar’s behaviour “shocking” and wrote, “He could have easily said no. What was the need to slap that guy who just wanted a photo?”