Mumbai’s film and theatre circle gathered at the P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex in Prabhadevi to honour Nana Patekar at a prayer meet titled Aathvanilya Nana. The actor died on October 8, 2026, at 75 after a cardiac arrest in Goa, and the room brought together the people who knew him as an actor, a colleague and, in the words of one speaker, a man of purpose.
The choice of venue mattered. Placing the remembrance at a well-known arts complex kept the focus on Patekar’s roots in Marathi theatre and stage, not just his Hindi film career. It was a quiet farewell from the community that worked alongside him.
Who came to pay their respects
Actors Shivaji Satam, Rohini Hattangadi and Varsha Usgaonkar attended, along with director Mehul Kumar and Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe. The gathering at the Prabhadevi venue kept the focus on Patekar’s decades across Hindi and Marathi cinema and theatre.
A rangoli placed at the entrance depicted Patekar’s character from Natsamrat, the acclaimed Marathi film. That choice was telling: before anyone spoke, the tribute had already picked one of his most memorable performances as its visual anchor.
The quote that defined the evening
Mundhe described Patekar as “a man of great utility and purpose” and said the actor’s straightforward social views and concern for helping the poor are being followed by those he left behind. He also remembered Patekar as sensitive and direct, the kind of person who was deeply concerned with how to uplift others.
Mundhe’s presence also broadened the evening beyond Bollywood. The Maharashtra FDA Commissioner is a public official, and his tribute linked Patekar’s off-screen concerns to a continuing effort to serve the poor. That is why the phrase “man of great utility and purpose” gives the tribute its centre: it names something people want to remember.
Why it matters to our readers
For audiences who track Bollywood and Marathi cinema, the prayer meet is a signal of how the industry is choosing to remember Patekar. The tribute joined his screen legacy with his socially driven work, and the Natsamrat rangoli suggests the Marathi role still holds a special place in his story.
The event also adds a final chapter to a career defined by intensity. Patekar was known for performances that did not need dialogue to land, and the memorial matched that tone: respectful, direct and free of spectacle.
Where to begin if you want to revisit his work
- The prayer meet was held at the P.L. Deshpande Maharashtra Kala Academy complex in Prabhadevi.
- Patekar died on October 8, 2026, at 75 after a cardiac arrest in Goa.
- The entrance rangoli recreated his Natsamrat character, while Tukaram Mundhe called him a man of great utility and purpose.
- Attendees included Shivaji Satam, Rohini Hattangadi, Varsha Usgaonkar and director Mehul Kumar.
The tribute itself points to Natsamrat as a natural starting point for anyone revisiting Patekar’s filmography. It is a reminder that, long after the headlines fade, the roles are the first place fans return to.
Source: Hindustan Times
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