2002 saw Nana Patekar play an oppressive village chieftain in Boney Kapoor's Shakti - The Power.

2003 witnesses him don khaki in Ram Gopal Varma's Bhoot. He earlier played a cop in Mehul Kumar's Tirangaa and Kohram.

Patekar also acts in Varma's next production Darna Manna Hai, directed by Prabal Pandey, featuring Fardeen Khan, Vivek Oberoi, Matondkar and Antara Mali.