Nana Patekar. Photo: Wikipedia
Mumbai: Veteran Indian actor and filmmaker Nana Patekar died on Thursday at his home in Dona Paula, Goa, after suffering a cardiac arrest. He was 75.
Patekar was declared dead at 5:20 AM at Manipal Hospital, where he was brought after being found unconscious at his residence. Doctors administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation for about 45 minutes but could not revive him.
His son, Malhar Patekar, confirmed the death. ‘Yes, the information is true. I am in Pune right now and reaching Goa. I will come up with a detailed statement. He died due to natural causes,’ Malhar told the Indian Express.
Final Hours
According to Dr. Shekhar Salkar, Chief of the Oncology Department at Manipal Hospital, Patekar sent a message to a friend at around 2:30 AM saying he was feeling uncomfortable and had ‘pain on the left side.’
The friend saw the message around 4 AM and rushed to Patekar’s apartment. By the time the friend arrived, Patekar was found unconscious on the floor.
‘He was gasping and sweating,’ Dr. Salkar said. ‘He sent his caretaker to get an ambulance from us since we are close by and our team went there with the ambulance and started CPR on him.’
Patekar was brought to the hospital at around 4:20 AM. ‘He was brought dead to the hospital. We tried our best to give him CPR. We declared him dead at 5:20 AM,’ Dr. Salkar said.
A medico-legal case has been registered, and the body was sent to Goa Medical College for a post-mortem examination.
State Funeral in Pune
The Maharashtra government announced that Patekar will be cremated with full state honours. His last rites will be performed at his farmhouse in Donje village near Pune at 4 PM on Thursday.
Maharashtra Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar said the decision was taken in view of Patekar’s immense contribution to Marathi and Hindi cinema and theatre. ‘Considering the unparalleled contribution of actor Nana Patekar to Marathi plays as well as Marathi and Hindi cinema, we have decided to conduct his last rites with full state honors,’ Shelar wrote on X.
Patekar’s body was to be brought to Pune from Goa, where it will be kept for final darshan before the cremation.
Last Public Appearance
Four days before his death, Patekar attended the installation ceremony of Samraat Club International in Dona Paula, Goa, on October 4. He spoke about theatre, performing arts, and mortality.
‘We all have to go someday. I don’t know whether I will be here tomorrow or not. Every person’s life will eventually reach that point. But before that happens, I have to ask myself: am I able to do what I want to do? I have to ask myself whether I have tried,’ he said in Marathi.
He also remembered former Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, calling him a person ‘about whom one could be proud.’
Tributes from Leaders and Colleagues
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Patekar, describing him as an actor who brought versatility and creativity to every role.
‘Few actors possessed the intensity, individuality and unmistakable presence that Shri Nana Patekar Ji had. He brought remarkable versatility and creativity to every role and gave us characters that will be remembered for generations. He was also admired for his frank and forthright views, never hesitating to express what he believed in,’ Modi posted on X.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called Patekar’s death a ‘massive shock to the heart.’ He said the actor had ‘gifted an entire era to Marathi and Hindi cinema.’
Actor Rajinikanth wrote on X, ‘I can’t believe my dear friend Nanaji is no longer with us. My deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. May his soul rest in peace.’
Akshay Kumar said, ‘He was one of those rare actors who never needed to do too much to make you sit up and watch. That voice, that intensity, that honesty in every performance, he was completely his own.’
Pankaj Tripathi, who shared screen space with Patekar in Kaala, said, ‘Nana ji’s passing is an incredibly painful loss for our entire fraternity. It’s a deeply personal loss for me. For me, this feels like losing a Guru.’
Anupam Kher, in an emotional video message, said, ‘It’s terrible, it’s not fair. Some people, we think will never go, and Nana was one of them. He was larger than life. He had the largest heart in the world.’
Career and Legacy
Born Vishwanath Patekar on January 1, 1951, in Maharashtra, he made his Hindi film debut with Gaman in 1978. He gained acclaim for performances in films such as Salaam Bombay!, Parinda, Krantiveer, and Ab Tak Chhappan.
He won three National Film Awards and was conferred the Padma Shri in 2013. He was the first actor in Hindi cinema to win Filmfare Awards across all three major acting categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Actor, and Best Villain.
He also became widely popular for his comic role as Uday Shetty in the 2007 film Welcome. Social media was flooded with memes and tribute posts featuring his iconic dialogues from the film.
Tanushree Dutta Reacts
Actress Tanushree Dutta, who had accused Patekar of sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement, reacted to his death in an Instagram Story.
‘Maine suna hai, I’ve heard the news. Today is my work day. I’m going to Lucknow for an event and I want to focus on that. What an odd day for all this to happen. I’m doing a very big event in Lucknow and I had my entire day planned out. I wanted to do lives, post content and now I’m worried that in the evening all the media is going to be interested in evil dead. So I will give my reaction once I figure out what kind of reaction I should have. Definitely condolences to the family,’ she said.
Dutta had alleged that Patekar behaved inappropriately with her during the 2008 shooting of Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss. Patekar denied the allegations. In 2019, Mumbai Police filed a closure report citing insufficient evidence. In 2025, a Mumbai court declined to take cognisance of the complaint on limitation grounds.
The post-mortem examination is expected to ascertain the exact cause of death. The last rites will take place at 4 PM on Thursday at Patekar’s farmhouse in Donje, Pune.
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